Norton Introduces Bill to Expand AmeriCorps, Reduce Youth Unemployment
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill today to help reduce the number of unemployed young Americans by expanding AmeriCorps by 500,000 members to allow unemployed young people who have mostly completed college or high school to earn a stipend sufficient to support themselves, as well as an education award, while gaining valuable work experience. Norton's bill would allow states and localities to boost personnel for badly needed services, such as after school and elderly programs, without new administrative structures or bureaucratic requirements.
"Expanding AmeriCorps would have immediate benefits both for our economy and for young Americans still struggling to find work," Norton said. "These young people who have worked hard to get their high school education or college degrees deserve better than competing for unpaid internships. They deserve the opportunity to earn a living while serving their communities."
Norton's full introductory statement follows.
Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on
the Introduction of the Promoting National Service
and Reducing Youth Unemployment Act
June 3, 2024
Today, I introduce the Promoting National Service and Reducing Youth Unemployment Act to address one of the greatest workforce tragedies—our unemployed young people—while filling vacancies in the public sector. Youth unemployment is harming our young people and costing our country billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and tax revenue, among other costs. Although the total unemployment rate has reached a relative low (3.9%), the youth unemployment rate is 8.2%. These young people have not had a fair chance to use the high school or college education we strongly urged them to obtain.
By adding 500,000 new members to AmeriCorps, this bill would need no new administrative structure or bureaucracy, and would allow unemployed youth to earn a stipend, obtain work experience and develop a good work history to help secure future employment. This bill would significantly expand job opportunities for young people who have done what they could to get a job, but, despite their best efforts, remain unemployed. AmeriCorps participants receive a living allowance and are also eligible for an education award equal to the value of a Pell grant, school-loan forbearance, health care benefits and childcare assistance. By expanding AmeriCorps, we would reduce the number of unemployed young people, provide them work skills and experience and help understaffed state and local governments provide services.
This bill would also establish that the minimum wage for any AmeriCorps State & National member would be 200 percent of the federal poverty line, and would not allow for a decrease in that amount, as is allowed under current law. AmeriCorps members serve their country and gain skills, but we should increase the minimum wage for everybody, including national service members.
For some time, it has been clear that policies to address the most stubborn forms of unemployment need to be targeted in order to be effective. Without significant targeting, many young people will continue to face their first years as adults without jobs and with no way to acquire necessary work experience. They deserve a better start in life as adults.
I ask my colleagues to support this urgently needed, targeted assistance for our unemployed youth.
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