Rep. Neguse Joins Colleagues in Urging Trump to Reverse AmeriCorps Cuts

Lafayette, CO — Congressman Joe Neguse, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, joined Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan National Service Caucus, and 148 of their colleagues from the House and Senate in sending a letter to President Donald Trump defending AmeriCorps and NCCC AmeriCorps members and calling on him to reverse cuts to the program made last week by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

In Colorado, AmeriCorps volunteers help communities respond to and recover from natural disasters, including wildfires. They also address local needs, and their work in the state has been instrumental in connecting veterans to services, combating the opioid epidemic, supporting older adults in aging with dignity, and improving the physical and mental well-being of Americans nationwide. Last year, more than 6,600 AmeriCorps volunteers served at 700 local sites across the state—from schools, food banks, and homeless shelters to health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities, and more. 

“We are deeply concerned by reports that a majority of AmeriCorps staff have been placed on administrative leave and that more than 750 NCCC members have already been recalled from their field assignments. Many of these volunteers were working in disaster response roles, including building homes for individuals who lost theirs in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. If not reversed, these recent actions will both stop current programs and prevent timely and efficient execution of the agency’s fiscal year 2025 appropriations, delaying or even halting the recruitment and deployment of new AmeriCorps members around the country. We are deeply concerned that is the goal: to eliminate AmeriCorps, in direct conflict with recently enacted appropriations. However, even delays will disrupt programs Americans rely on for their health, education, and safety. We urge you to reverse these actions and instead work with Congress on bipartisan improvements to AmeriCorps so that more Americans have the opportunity to serve their communities,” wrote the lawmakers.  

Read the full text of the letter HERE. 

Programs such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors deploy more than 200,000 Americans annually to carry out results-driven projects at over 35,000 locations across the country. Working in partnership with thousands of non-profit, faith-based, and community organizations, these dedicated volunteers and workers help promote employment opportunities, strengthen the workforce, and support those in need.   

Background

Congressman Neguse has been a staunch supporter of AmeriCorps and is the proud sponsor of legislation to reimagine a 21st-century Civilian Climate Corps. His proposal draws inspiration from FDR’s New Deal program to recreate the corps of the 1930s, which built Red Rocks, roads, trails, and campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park, and supported other projects throughout Colorado—creating new jobs and driving major investments in wildfire resiliency, mitigation, and adaptation.

He also joined Americans in celebrating President Joe Biden’s decision to establish the American Climate Corps, a program that mobilizes people in response to the climate crisis and creates a 21st-century, climate-focused workforce—preparing a new generation of workers for good-paying jobs in a clean economy.

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