The Serve America Act is through Congress!

Apr 01, 2009 Posted by Kim Wollner

    Yesterday in a roll call vote, the House of Representatives voted to amend the Serve America Act with the newer Senate version.  The vote was 275-149, fulfilling the super majority and bipartisan efforts.

    This only leaves one step to make this official, signing the bill into law.  While President Barack Obama is in Europe right now, there will be no reason for him to sign the Serve America Act as soon as he lands in the states.  

    After the Serve America Act is on the books of US Code, we still need your support.  We need to make sure that Congress fulfills their promises laid out in the bill.  Appropriations will occur to physically fund the bill, and this is definitely not the easiest process.  ServeNext will keep you updated with all of that.

    But for now…it is time to celebrate our success!  Thank you for your continued support and efforts.  Without you we could not have succeeded!

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Congress, vote, House (all tags)

One More Time...

Mar 30, 2009 Posted by Kim Wollner

As I have posted before, the House needs to vote on the Serve America Act one more time.  And that time is now!  The House has brought the Serve America Act up to the floor on the Suspension Calendar.  This means that no amendments can be made, but it must receive a 2/3 super majority.  The House originally voted 321-105 carrying the super majority necessary for this time around.  If the bill is put through today, the legislation will be on President Obama's desk by tonight!

We can do this, but we need your help!  

How can you help?

   * Since increased spending levels in the Senate bill may cause concerns for some House members, we ask that you contact your Representatives and urge them to support the bill.
    * The message is simple: "Please pass the GIVE Act as amended by the Senate."
    * The House operator -- 202-225-3121 -- can connect you with your Congressperson. Click here to find out who represents your district.
    * Every phone call counts and every vote matters.

You can see how your representative voted in the first vote HERE.

Thank you again for all of your support and effort for national service.  Your efforts will all be justified when President Barack Obama signs the Serve America Act into law.

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House, Serve America Act, Vote (all tags)

We Did It!

Mar 27, 2009 Posted by Kim Wollner

Yesterday, the Senate passed the Serve America Act 79-19.  This bipartisan vote was more than we could ever ask.  You can see just how your senator voted at Senate.gov.

    With the passing of this legislation you must give yourself a pat on the back.  No one organization or individual could have done this.  And we have every one of you to thank for making your voice heard in so many different ways.  

    You may be wondering what the next steps are.  Because there were two different versions that went through the House and the Senate they must be combined and approved again. The House will receive the Serve America Act sometime next week to approve the changes from the Senate.  Hopefully that vote will be just as bipartisan as the previous votes.  Once approved by the House the bill goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law!

    Thank you again for all of your hard work ad support.  And please do not forget to thank your Senator/Representative.  Click the link to sign a thank you card to Congress.

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Senate, Serve America Act, House (all tags)

Service Legislation Gains Momentum, Big Week Ahead

Mar 25, 2009 Posted by Kim Wollner

Last week, the House of Representatives voted on the GIVE Act (HR 1388).  The vote was a huge bipartisan victory with 321-105.  You can see the press conference held outside the Capitol after the vote here on YouTube.

We are halfway there in our fight for service for America, but we cannot coast through what we have left.

The Senate has the Serve America Act (S277) on its agenda this week (the Senate companion to the GIVE Act).  After years of hard work, this is our week to get the bill passed!  We are hoping that we have as big of a bipartisan victory in the Senate as we did in the House to show that this legislation is not a party issue.

You can read an opinion piece about the Senate legislation at
The Boston Globe.

While our country is in a difficult economic state, some may be questioning why now for this service legislation.  Honestly, there is no better time for the Serve America Act to be passed.  This bill would help pull our nation out of this crisis by creating jobs and opportunities for scholarship for citizens of all ages.  We have seen with recent natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, that service is a necessary asset in our communities and we must increase the population of people serving.  Everyday people talk about how they want to get involved with service, but they do not know where to turn for opportunities.  This bill will clearly lay out all of the service opportunities available.  All in all, this legislation will help pull our nation together to help one another.

Now it is your turn!  You can help in this crucial week by making a short phone call to your Senator.  We need as much grassroots support as possible so we are asking all of our supporters to take a second and visit The Youth Policy Action Center. There are simple instructions on where and how to call you Senator.

Every call is important so we also ask that you spread this call to your networks, no matter where they are from.

Thank you for your continued support!

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Senate, Serve America Act, House (all tags)

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