HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John B. Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) on Thursday sent a letter calling on the Trump Administration to reverse last week’s sudden dismissal of all student volunteers with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and plans for mass layoffs at AmeriCorps at the direction of Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE.’

“Slashing a program that puts thousands of young Americans to work serving their country and communities is downright reckless—it cripples disaster relief, undercuts education, and weakens public health where it’s needed most,” said Murphy. “If you’re cutting national service while handing tax breaks to billionaires, you’re not serving the country—you’re serving yourself and your megarich buddies.” 

 “AmeriCorps’ hard-working volunteers across Connecticut have supported a variety of critical needs in our state from disaster recovery to public health outreach to youth mentoring. Trump and Musk are recklessly decimating community programs with proven success— another gut punch to dedicated public servants. Patriotic volunteers like Sarah Meade, who simply seek to give back to our nation, deserve better than Trump’s back of the hand. This cruel, shortsighted step shortchanges the nation,” said Blumenthal. 

 “More than 60 years since President Kennedy’s famous call to service, AmeriCorps mobilizes hundreds of thousands of Americans each year to support disaster relief efforts, school mentoring programs, and more,” said Larson. “President Trump and Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ are trying to dismantle and defund these programs, even recalling volunteers who were building homes for hurricane victims in North Carolina. Here in Connecticut, these cuts could shutter programs for our youth, seniors, and veterans. I stand with my constituents who were dismissed with no explanation after answering the call to service, including Southington resident Sarah Meade who has bravely come forward to share her story. President Trump must reverse course so disaster relief efforts can continue unimpeded, and AmeriCorps volunteers can continue to deliver critical services. We will keep fighting to preserve President Kennedy’s vision from these drastic ‘DOGE’ cuts.” 

“Elon Musk’s DOGE has taken its sledgehammer to AmeriCorps and practically eliminated our nation’s leading agency that provides essential services to veterans, children, and seniors. I’m all for making our government work more efficiently, but indiscriminately slashing yet another agency will not achieve that goal. The free rein Elon Musk and DOGE have been given to cut services without oversight is irresponsible and cruel,” said Courtney. 

“The Trump Administration’s decision to dismiss National Civilian Community Corps student volunteers and move forward with mass layoffs at AmeriCorps is an attack on public service and civic engagement,” said DeLauro. “These young people commit themselves to disaster relief, environmental protection, and community rebuilding. That is not waste. It’s exactly what government should do-improve the lives of Americans. The Trump Administration must reverse course immediately.” 

"Programs like AmeriCorps NCCC embody national service and deserve greater investment, not abandonment. The 200 Connecticut AmeriCorps locations work hand in hand with local partners to empower individuals to assist communities tackle their toughest challenges. President Trump must reverse course to ensure these essential services many rely on continue unimpeded,” said Hayes. 

“The demobilization of AmeriCorps NCCC and placing nearly 85% of federal agency staff on administrative leave is a clarion call for Connecticut communities where more than 2,200 AmeriCorps members serve in several hundred statewide locations,” said Jacqueline M. Lucier, Executive Director of Serve Connecticut. “Life without AmeriCorps in Connecticut means veterans in Groton losing vital daily support, students missing out on safe afterschool programs, young adults losing a pathway into public service, and the absence of low-income Americans aged 55 and older providing one-on-one mentoring and academic support to children with exceptional needs. With programs frozen or dismantled, the ripple effect threatens our most vulnerable residents and the civic fabric that holds them together.” 

“AmeriCorps NCCC gave me the opportunity to support environmental stewardship with Arkansas State Parks, assist with long-term disaster relief in Houston, and support food security efforts in El Paso. My service term, while abruptly cut short, provided me with a unique experience to become fully immersed in diverse, resilient communities across the country, which expanded my worldview and molded me into a more empathetic, service-minded citizen. Programs like AmeriCorps NCCC, which foster national service, purpose, and our shared responsibility to serve our fellow Americans, are vital to the spirit of our nation and deserve renewed investment, not abandonment,” said Sarah Meade, Southington resident and former NCCC volunteer. 

The dismissal of all NCCC volunteers included volunteers building homes for Hurricane Helene and Milton victims, as well as assisting with disaster response following the Los Angeles wildfires. More than 200,000 Americans participate in AmeriCorps-led service projects at over 35,000 locations each year. Funding for AmeriCorps has consistently been approved by Congress and was signed into law as recently as last month.  

The lawmakers are calling on the Trump Administration to reverse the recall of NCCC volunteers and halt plans for a reduction in force of 85% of the workers at AmeriCorps.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: 

Dear President Trump:

We write to express our strong support for AmeriCorps and urge you to reverse both the recall of all NCCC AmeriCorps members and the recently implemented drastic reductions in force across the AmeriCorps agency. We are deeply concerned these actions will prevent the agency from continuing to deliver critical services, which include supporting veterans, fighting wildfires, tutoring in schools, combatting the fentanyl epidemic, and much more.

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. AmeriCorps’ track record of delivering for Americans has earned broad and longstanding support from business leaders, mayors, and governors of both parties.

AmeriCorps is a public-private partnership that leverages approximately $1 billion in matched resources from the private sector, foundations, and local agencies to support organizations across the country working in creative ways to tackle our most persistent and costly challenges. While it is important the agency continue to make measurable progress toward an improved audit performance, federal investments in AmeriCorps already delivers returns for the American people. A 2020 study found that for every one dollar that Congress appropriates to AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs, they return over $17 in benefits to society, program members, and the government. Further, the AmeriCorps programs are a smart investment in our country’s future. AmeriCorps service allows members to gain marketable job skills in high demand fields and pursue higher education, preparing more Americans to succeed in the workforce.

We have seen firsthand the critical impact these programs have across the states we represent. We urge the administration to continue implementing the statutory requirements of the national service laws:

  • Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, Public Law 93-113.
  • National and Community Service Act of 1990, Public Law 101-610.
  • National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, Public Law 103-82.
  • Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Actor 2009, Public Law 111-13.

Additionally, Congress recently passed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, which maintained funding for AmeriCorps at its Fiscal Year 2024 level. We expect that the administration will implement this law in a manner consistent with the allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. However, we have grave concerns that significant reductions in force will prevent AmeriCorps from being able to effectively and efficiently award appropriated funding to programs operating in communities across the country.

We are deeply concerned by reports that a majority of AmeriCorps staff have been placed on administrative leave and that more than 750 NCCC members have already been recalled from their field assignments. Many of these volunteers were working in disaster response roles, including building homes for individuals who lost theirs in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. If not reversed, these recent actions will both stop current programs and prevent timely and efficient execution of the agency’s fiscal year 2025 appropriations, delaying or even halting the recruitment and deployment of new AmeriCorps members around the country. We are deeply concerned that is the goal: to eliminate AmeriCorps, in direct conflict with recently enacted appropriations. However, even delays will disrupt programs Americans rely on for their health, education, and safety. We urge you to reverse these actions and instead work with Congress on bipartisan improvements to AmeriCorps so that more Americans have the opportunity to serve their communities.

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