Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. REED. Madam President, I believe that Americans are ready and willing to answer the call to serve, to come together and meet the challenges that we face at the local, national, and international level. We just need to create the conditions to mobilize them. That is why I am proud to join Senator Young in introducing the Unity through Service Act.

Our legislation is based on the recommendations of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. The Commission was established in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. At that time, the Armed Services Committee faced a critical question: Should women be required to register for the draft? Chairman John McCain and I quickly understood that the question was also about something bigger. What does it mean for the Nation when so many people do not have the common experience of service, whether in the military or in their communities? And what happens when those who want to serve do not have the opportunity to do so? With those thoughts in mind, we established the Commission to look at the issue of service comprehensively.

The Commission published its final report and recommendations just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to grip the Nation. It set a 10-year goal for 5 million Americans to begin participating in military, national, or public service each year. Additionally, the Commission set targets for ensuring there are more than enough qualified individuals seeking to serve in the Armed Forces, and it called for modernizing government personnel systems to attract and enable Americans with critical skills to enter public service. The Unity through Service Act would help to implement those recommendations, providing the architecture and focus to mobilize a whole of government approach.

Specifically, the Unity through Service Act would establish an Interagency Council on Service to coordinate and lead initiatives that extend across military, national, and public service. The council would be tasked with preparing and submitting to the President a national strategy on service, including a review of current programs, initiatives, and online content. The legislation would promote cross- service marketing, recruitment, and retention through joint advertising campaigns and shared market research. It would also ensure that transitioning military members and AmeriCorps members are informed about other service opportunities open to them.

The Unity through Service Act would elevate all forms of service, leveraging the strengths of existing programs. In addition, it would complement the ACTION for National Service Act, which I introduced earlier this year to put us on a path to one million national service members annually within 10 years. The Unity Through Service Act would provide a roadmap for bringing a new generation of Americans together in service to our Nation. Americans want to serve. We just need to provide the opportunities and the connection for them to do so.

I urge my colleagues to join us in reaffirming our national culture of service by working with Senator Young and me to take up and pass the Unity through Service Act. ______

By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:

S. 2161. A bill to provide financial assistance for projects to address certain subsidence impacts in the State of California, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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