Senators Bernie Sanders, Patty Murray, and Tammy Baldwin, along with Representatives Bobby Scott and Rosa DeLauro, have voiced strong opposition to recent actions taken by the Trump administration regarding AmeriCorps. In a letter addressed to the Interim Agency Head of AmeriCorps, these lawmakers demanded an immediate reversal of layoffs and grant terminations that they argue have significantly impaired the agency’s operations.
“While a recent court order instituted a 14-day temporary restraining order on staff reductions at AmeriCorps, the damage of firing staff and eliminating $400 million in grants has already been felt across the country,” stated Sanders, Murray, Baldwin, Scott, and DeLauro. They emphasized that these cuts could severely hinder AmeriCorps members’ ability to assist communities nationwide in various capacities such as disaster response, education support, and housing development.
The controversy stems from actions taken late last month when President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE allegedly terminated over a thousand grants totaling nearly $400 million. These terminations reportedly occurred without providing the required statutory notices to grantees. The cuts are affecting ongoing projects and impacting volunteers who serve communities through AmeriCorps initiatives.
In 2024 alone, approximately 200,000 AmeriCorps volunteers engaged in activities ranging from educational support to disaster recovery efforts. The lawmakers stressed the importance of reversing these decisions swiftly: “We urge the swift reversal of the termination of NCCC members’ service terms so that they can get back to helping communities,” they concluded. They warned that more than 1,000 programs might close if no action is taken.
The full letter detailing their concerns is available for public viewing.
