HONORING THE PEACE CORPS ON ITS 65TH ANNIVERSARY

HONORING THE PEACE CORPS ON ITS 65TH ANNIVERSARY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E255-E256] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE PEACE CORPS ON ITS 65TH ANNIVERSARY ______ HON. GWEN MOORE of wisconsin in the house of representatives Tuesday, March 24, 2026 Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary impact the Peace Corps has made on international communities and American citizens alike. This month, on its 65th anniversary, we honor the Peace Corps and the dedicated volunteers who have served their country and helped better communities around the globe. On October 14, 1960, then-Senator John F. Kennedy announced in a speech at the University of Michigan an innovative new idea--the establishment of an American organization that would send volunteers abroad to foster mutual understanding, build relationships, and develop educational, economic, and agricultural opportunities in underserved communities. Soon, the Peace Corps was born, and the first group of volunteers left for Ghana on August 28, 1961. Throughout its history, the Peace Corps has continued to send dedicated and talented Americans across the globe to assist in health, education and economic development as well as partake in other progressive projects to help those in need throughout the world. Peace Corps volunteers represent the best of the United States and the undimmed potential of ``soft power'' initiatives that help make our world a better place. Through emersion in and supportive engagement with host communities, Peace Corps volunteers help to show the world an uplifting side of the United States that values peace, prosperity and progress not just in this country, but throughout the world. I have long been a supporter of this program, including supporting increased funding for it--and I hope, we can provide an increase in FY 2027--as well as cosponsored legislation introduced by my good friend, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Peace Corps volunteers to recognize the dedication and devotion and spirit of public service that has guided their hard work and sacrifice. Although President Kennedy first established the Peace Corps by Executive Order and is rightly associated with it, there had been earlier proposals for an international service organization. And I want to point out the role that former Wisconsin Congressman Henry S. Reuss played. In fact, before Kennedy's Michigan speech, Representative Reuss created a proposal for what he referred to as a ``Point Four Youth Corps,'' an idea that later evolved into the Peace Corps, and he spearheaded the House legislation to authorize this program. Since its inception, Peace Corps volunteers have gone above and beyond in fulfilling their mission through community-based development. More than 240,000 volunteers, 6,577 of them Wisconsinites, have devoted themselves to service in six different sectors, including agriculture, economic development, education, environment, health, and youth development. In the Peace Corps Act, Congress declared it the policy of the United States to ``promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps . . . available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary'' to help ``promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served and a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people''. Sixty-five years later, the Peace Corps is as relevant as ever and probably even more needed. By living alongside the community they serve, volunteers develop lifelong friendships [[Page E256]] and cultural skills that reflect positively on the program, the community, and the United States. Returned volunteers have come back changed and gone on to do great things in their communities here at home, including serving as Members of Congress. This program has strengthened food security, improved health outcomes, and empowered the next generation in over 140 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands, and I am honored to join in celebrating its 65th anniversary. ____________________