WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate National Service Caucus, led members in calling on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to release the full fiscal year 2025 appropriations for AmeriCorps after illegal OMB holds on the funds have forced many AmeriCorps programs to cease operations. In addition to Senators Coons and Cassidy, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
AmeriCorps was allocated $1.26 billion to support national service efforts across the country under the spending bill signed into law by President Trump earlier this year. However, AmeriCorps grantees are still waiting on access to these funds, leaving communities, service organizations, and AmeriCorps members in limbo.
“For more than thirty years, AmeriCorps has been our nation’s leading provider of grants that support and promote national service and volunteerism. Through programs like AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, more than 200,000 Americans participate in results-driven service projects at more than 35,000 locations across the country each year. Working hand in hand with thousands of nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations, these dedicated Americans recruit and manage millions of additional volunteers as they work to promote employment opportunities, prepare a better-trained workforce, and provide essential services to veterans, children, and seniors,” the senators wrote.
The senators expressed concern over the agency’s sudden termination of National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) field operations and mass staff layoffs in mid-April. The agency canceled nearly $400 million in active grants, causing more delays in the release of FY25 funds. Grantees recently received notices stating that many applications have been approved for funding, but OMB has not yet released key portions of the appropriated funding. For example, over 130 Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs were eligible for more than $50 million in support, but had to cease operations on July 1. These programs served more than 6,000 senior volunteers across 35 states.
“National service has long enjoyed bipartisan support from governors, mayors, and members of Congress because it delivers measurable value to communities, helps strengthen local workforces, and offers young Americans a meaningful pathway into public service. We have seen firsthand the critical impact AmeriCorps programs have across the states we represent. We urge the administration to release all remaining funding for AmeriCorps as appropriated by Congress under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 so that this important work can continue,” the senators concluded.
You can read the full letter here.