Orrin Hatch

Quotes from random famous people who believe in volunteering and community service: 

We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give -- Winston Churchill

The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have -- Dr. Spock (Star Trek doctor, not baby doctor, aka Leonard Nimoy)

No matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take the place of volunteers -- Ronald Reagan 

Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love... -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week was a great one for national service, one of the cornerstones of the young Administration of President Barack Obama and a top priority for the First Lady. The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday -- by a rare, massively bipartisan vote -- passed the GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education) sponsored by U.S. Rep. George Miller. There were a few dissenters who opposed the legislation, arguing that the bill would hurt groups like the Boy Scouts because the volunteers under the legislation would be paid. The horror: boosting the economy, helping kids pay for college and helping others. 

Don't worry: a Senate Committee this week reviewed a similar bill in that chamber sponsored by U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch. The bill has a much simpler name -- the Serve America Act -- and is expected to pass easily early next week.

According to the New York Times:

The House voted Wednesday to approve the largest expansion of government-sponsored service programs since President John F. Kennedy first called for the creation of a national community service corps in 1963.

The legislation, which passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 321 to 105, would more than triple the number of service positions by expanding Americorps and creating volunteer programs focused on education, health care, clean energy and veterans. The total number of positions would grow to 250,000 from 75,000 now in AmeriCorps.

Earlier this month, I wrote about the plan to introduce the bill and the story of how Michelle Obama made it all happen. On Tuesday of this week, the FLOTUS was at a rally on the National Mall to celebrate the 30th anniversary of YouthBuild, a public serviice organization.

National service is near and dear to us here at NDN. Morley Winograd and Mike Hais, NDN's two newest Fellows and authors of the critically acclaimed Milllennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube & the Future of American Politics, have done extensive research on the values and outlooks of Millennials, the largest U.S. generation ever.

Unlike the preceding idealist generations, the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, Millennials are a civic generation. As Morley and Mike wrote in December 2008 in "Reinforcing Obama's Millennial Army:"

According to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, almost 60 percent of Millennials are “personally interested in engaging in some form of public service to help the country.” The ethos of service among Millennials is strongly supported regardless of gender or party affiliation. While many of those surveyed see public service as working for government, or even running for office, there is no reason to channel the generation’s enthusiasm solely into these more politically oriented activities. Instead, the incoming Obama Administration should create an entity to help Millennials find ways to rebuild all of America’s civic institutions.

It's no coincidence that Millennials voted for Obama by a more than 2:1 margin. Now it's payback time and Obama's making good.

Morley and Mike are actually in DC today to celebrate the launch of the new, updated paperback version of their critically acclaimed book. During the forum we held here at NDN, they were asked about Millinnials and national service.

As Morley and Mike have said and written before:

Millennials are of an archetype labeled "civic" by the seminal generational theorists William Strauss and Neil Howe. Like all other civic generations throughout American history, Millennials are defined by their strong desire to advance the welfare of the entire group and, by extension, all of society. The willingness of Millennials to help make things better was reflected in their enthusiastic reaction to Obama’s call during the campaign for a program aimed at young people that would help them pay for college in exchange for two years of public service, either in the military or one of the federal civilian service organizations. While the financial concerns of a generation heavily burdened by educational debt may have partially accounted for the loud applause this idea always generated, there is far more to it than self-interest.

In a report from last Friday, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter got the jump on an important story that's very telling about the backgrounds and value systems of our new President and First Lady, the millions of young people -- Millennnials -- who voted for him -- and a (rare) bipartisan drive in Congress to create jobs, create opportunities for young people to help pay for their education through service activities.   

Writes Alter:

On Monday, Miller will announce that the GIVE Act (don't ask what the acronym means; too clunky) is on its way to passage by the House. Because representatives of the House, Senate and White House have been working together on a bipartisan basis for weeks, the skids are now greased for quick Senate passage of the Kennedy-Hatch Act for national service, the only specific piece of legislation the president mentioned in his address to Congress last month. Differences between the House and Senate versions will be minor.

By early April, Obama will sign landmark legislation expanding AmeriCorps from 75,000 participants to 250,000 over the next few years. This will take the national-service movement to a new level, create thousands of jobs and help young Americans pay for college. It's another sign that the president and his allies on Capitol Hill intend to redeem the promise of last year's campaign a helluva lot earlier than even his most ardent supporters expected...

...The outlines of what will pass, reported here for the first time:

• A boost in the educational stipend offered in exchange for service to $5,350, with the provision that it will continue to rise in tandem with Pell grants. (Pay for full-time AmeriCorps service is about $11,000 a year.)
• A $500 education award for middle-school and high-school students who take part in a "Summer of Service" or other service activities.
• The establishment of a Clean Energy Corps, Education Corps, Healthy Futures Corps and Veterans Services Corps.
• The establishment of new ServeAmerica Fellowships.
• The expansion of the Civilian Community Corps to include work on weatherization and other energy-conservation projects.
• The expansion of the Peace Corps (to 16,000) and other existing programs.
• The designation of September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The Miller referenced above is U.S. Rep. George Miller, the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. First Lady Michelle Obama, a long-time champion of national service and volunteerism who worked at the non-profit, Public Allies, had buttonholed Miller earlier last week to tell him just how important the national service legislation is to her and the President.

Many of Obama's strongest supporters share the President's passion for giving back to the community. NDN Fellows Morley Winograd and Mike Hais -- co-authors of the critically acclaimed Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube & the Future of American Politics, have written two important essays for NDN on Millennials, national service and volunteerism.

On December 1, 2008, in "Reinforcing Obama's Millennial Army," Winograd and Hais wrote:

According to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, almost 60 percent of Millennials are “personally interested in engaging in some form of public service to help the country.” The ethos of service among Millennials is strongly supported regardless of gender or party affiliation. While many of those surveyed see public service as working for government, or even running for office, there is no reason to channel the generation’s enthusiasm solely into these more politically oriented activities. Instead, the incoming Obama Administration should create an entity to help Millennials find ways to rebuild all of America’s civic institutions.

On January 9, 2009, in "National Service and National Pride: Obama/Powell Initiative Is Downpayment to Millennials," NDN's newest Fellows said:

The selection of former Secretary of State Colin Powell to announce the Obama Administration's national service initiative, "Renew America Together" (USAService.org), is much more than a smart political move. It’s a perfect down payment on the promises Obama made to his most ardent supporters, the Millennial Generation (born 1982-2003).

...By giving Powell this important and visible role, Obama simultaneously burnishes his bipartisan credentials and demonstrates his understanding that the United States has moved to a new era dominated by the outlook of a new generation determined to make America a stronger and more unified country.

...The willingness of Millennials to help make things better was reflected in their enthusiastic reaction to Obama’s call during the campaign for a program aimed at young people that would help them pay for college in exchange for two years of public service, either in the military or one of the federal civilian service organizations. While the financial concerns of a generation heavily burdened by educational debt may have partially accounted for the loud applause this idea always generated, there is far more to it than self-interest.

Expanding national service opportunities will help people and help the economy. It creates jobs and goodwill.

Recording artist Usher has weighed in, testifying before Miller's Committee last month. You can watch it here:

National service is in. Self service is out.