Peace Corps Polyglot

Deadline Today for Dodd-Corker Peace Corps Letter!

It's crunch time! The deadline is today for Senators to sign on to the Dodd-Corker Peace Corp Letter, urging robust financing for Peace Corps in 2010. The letter has received bipartisan support, and has been signed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Here's how you can ask your Senator to support the Peace Corps:

1. Call the toll-free number to the Capitol Hill Switchboard (877-851-6437) and ask to be connected to the office of your Senator (you can find direct lines or the names of your Senators by clicking here.

2.Identify yourself by name and community, and leave this message.  "I'm calling to urge Senator _____ to sign the Dodd-Corker letter in support of significantly increased Peace Corps funding for Fiscal Year 2010."

Here's a list of Senators that have signed on. If your Senator has signed the letter, make sure to call and thank him or her!

California Dianne Feinstein

Colorado  Michael Bennet

Connecticut Chris Dodd, Joseph Lieberman

Delaware Edward Kaufman

Florida Mel Martinez, Bill Nelson

Georgia Johnny Isakson, Saxby Chambliss
 
Illinois Richard Durbin

Maryland Ben Cardin 

Massachusetts John Kerry, Ted Kennedy

Michigan Carl Levin

Montana Christopher Bond

Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

Nevada Harry Reid

New Jersey Robert Menendez 

New York Charles Schumer

Ohio Sherrod Brown

Pennsylvania Robert Casey

Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse

Tennessee Bob Corker 

Vermont Bernie Sanders 

West Virginia John Rockefeller

Wisconsin Russ Feingold

The Day of Action and Beyond

Last couple of weeks, I've found myself boring the heck out of interns Jaylene, Analisa and Sarah by spewing out random 70's and 80's pop culture references that - at the moment anyway - seemed appropriate to the latest task we were working to cross off our Day of Action "to do" list.

And so it happens again as I reflect back on yesterday.  The Day of Action is over, to which I reply...

"Over, Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is!"

And so we continue.  Intern Sarah is back over on the Hill this afternoon, her MorePeaceCorps canvas bag loaded with outreach materials to 85 more House offices.  A fresh wave of advocates from California, Colorado and New York are due in tomorrow for more meetings with their lawmakers.  We'll look to finalize the House information distribution tomorrow, and turn our attention to the Senate next week, when we hope to have a Dear Colleague letter circulating.

Still taking stock of the flurry of activity yesterday.  32 great volunteers were all over the Capitol, working in teams, covering 79 pre-arranged meetings, connecting with foreign affairs staff in many congressional offices getting face time with at least a dozen lawmakers (including Kevin Quigley and Rajeev Goyal meeting for several minutes with Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, making the case for the Peace Corps Enhancement Act of 2009 and urging sign-on to the Peace Corps Dear Colleague letter that's circulating.

There's a lot of follow up work to be done and we are just beginning that process.  We should starting getting the first updates on additional 1066 co-sponsors and initial House signers of the Peace Corps letter.

So we continue.  It's not over.   "We've only just begun"  starts down another bad culture reference, so it's much better to simply say keep visiting www.morepeacecorps.org, keep taking action and getting others to do the same.

RPCV Voice at Global Climate Talks

As world leaders and global advocates consider how to effectively combat climate change, it's not surprising that some of the voices at the table have Peace Corps in their background.  That was the case during the most recent round of climate change negotiations in Poznan, Poland.

A recent Washington Post article quoted two prominent advocates who are RPCVs.  Keya Chaterjee, Deputy Director of Climate Change Programs for the World Wildlife Fund-US, served as a Morocco volunteer from 1998-2000.  The article also quoted Doug Boucher, a Costa Rica volunteer from 1971 to 1973 who directs the tropical forest climate initiative for the Union of Concerned Scientists.

If you are interested in connecting with other RPCVs taking action on climate change, contact [email protected].

Home Stretch for Action on International Affairs Funding

The US Global Leadership Campaign is into its final week of Capitol Hill outreach urging lawmakers to sign Senate and House "Dear Colleague" letters calling on President-elect Obama to support robust funding for the international affairs budget.

Nearly 200 lawmakers have already endorsed the letters with Friday, December 12th being the deadline for signing. 

Please take action this week (it only takes five minutes) if your Senators or Representative haven't signed.  This is especially case if your legislators are on the target list below.

Key Remaining Senate Targets: Evan Bayh (D-IN), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jim Webb (D-VA).
 
Key Remaining House Targets: Brian Baird (D-WA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Steve Israel (D-NY), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Ray LaHood (R-IL), John Larson (D-CT), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Mike Ross (D-AR), Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Hilda Solis (D-CA) and Maxine Waters (D-CA).