Obama to sign service bill on Tuesday
Resource type: News
The Boston Globe |
President Obama on Tuesday will sign the landmark national service bill named for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, White House announced this afternoon.
The bill-signing event will take place at The SEED School of Washington, D.C., a public school with students who face challenges in school and at home.
“The president will give remarks on the bipartisan service legislation which will open up new opportunities for millions of Americans. He will call on people across the country to serve their communities and work together to tackle the nation’s tough challenges,” the White House said.
Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Senator Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, pushed through the bill, which would increase the ranks of AmeriCorps to 250,000 from 75,000 positions over eight years and also create five groups to help poor people, improve education, encourage energy efficiency, strengthen access to healthcare, and assist veterans.
When Congress approved the legislation, Obama earlier praised Kennedy’s role, saying that “it is fitting that this legislation is named after Ted Kennedy, a person who has never stopped asking what he could do for his country. This legislation is not just a tribute to the service to which he has dedicated his life, it is a call to action for the rest of us.”
Atlantic Philanthropies President & CEO Gara LaMarche will be in attendance at the bill-signing ceremony.