House Peace Corps Funding Letter Circulating

There has never been a year when the annual House Peace Corps funding letter has been more important.

With news that significant restructuring and reductions to Peace Corps staff are planned, RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Delegate Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) are asking their colleagues to sign a letter to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee, requesting an overdue funding increase to support the agency and its volunteers. You can read the letter at the bottom of this news post. The deadline is May 14 to act. Your member of the House of Representatives has until Wednesday, May 14th, to sign this year’s letter, which requests $479 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2026 (current Peace Corps funding is $430.5 million).

Use this link to urge your representative to sign this year’s letter! (NOTE: This is a House of Representatives action only. A similar Senate funding letter is expected soon)

Who signed the letter?

Below is the list (by state/territories) of Representatives who have signed this year’s Garamendi-Radewagen Peace Corps Funding Letter for Fiscal Year 2026.

DEADLINE to sign on: 5:00 PM (ET), May 14, 2025

SIGNATURES as of 2:00 PM (ET), May 5, 2025: 37

ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES needed to match last year’s letter (112 signatures): 75

American Samoa: Radewagen (co-author)

California: Correa, DeSaulnier, Garamendi (co-author), Huffman, Ruiz

Colorado: Crow, DeGette

Connecticut: Hayes

District of Columbia: Norton

Georgia: Bishop, David Scott, Williams 

Illinois: Davis, Jackson, Kelly

Indiana: Carson

Kansas: Davids

Massachusetts: Lynch, Moulton

Michigan: Stevens

New York: Ryan, Torres

Northern Mariana Islands: King-Hinds

Ohio: Beatty, Landsman

Oregon: Bonamici

Tennessee: Cohen

Texas: Vicente Gonzalez

Virgin Islands: Plaskett

Virginia: Beyer, Connolly

Washington: DelBene, Larsen, Schrier, Strickland

Wisconsin: Moore

Here’s the introduction and text of the House Peace Corps funding letter.

Dear Colleague,

I invite you to join me and Congresswoman Amata Coleman Radewagen, co-chair of the Peace Corps Caucus, in cosigning the enclosed letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs requesting $479 million for the Peace Corps in fiscal year 2026. This requested funding level, consistent with the budget request for fiscal year 2025, would enable Peace Corps operations globally while supporting the volunteers who choose to serve.

For over six decades, the Peace Corps has played a vital role in advancing American diplomacy and global engagement. With volunteers in over 60 countries, the Peace Corps serves as a powerful instrument of American soft power, fostering people-to-people connections and reinforcing American ideals abroad. Volunteers teach English, support economic development, and work with host communities to build health and food security programs in developing countries globally.

During times of rising tensions, the Peace Corps is a critical, cost-effective tool for advancing America’s international partnerships and global leadership. Volunteers often serve in remote, challenging environments where the United States has limited formal presence, demonstrating American values through action and service. The Peace Corps is a strategic asset for cultivating international goodwill that extends beyond the reach of traditional policy measures.

Funding at $479 million for fiscal year 2026 will ensure that the Peace Corps has the resources necessary to continue advancing American diplomacy and engagement and support the next generation of Americans who volunteer abroad.

For questions, please contact Sydney Hilbush in Congressman Garamendi’s office.

LETTER TEXT:

Dear Chairman Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Frankel:

We respectfully request you provide $479,000,000 for the Peace Corps in the forthcoming “National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act” for fiscal year 2026, consistent with the budget request for fiscal year 2025.

This requested funding level would enable Peace Corps operations globally, while supporting the volunteers who choose to serve. The Peace Corps represents a vital aspect of American diplomacy and engagement. Volunteers teach English, support economic development, and develop programs in coordination with communities around the world. Their work builds lasting relationships and strengthens the United States’ international partnerships. Particularly in times of rising tensions, the Peace Corps is a critical, cost-effective investment which supports the United States, its Volunteers, and the communities they work in.

Peace Corps Volunteers serve our country in remote, challenging environments. In recent years, the Peace Corps has taken steps to improve further the health, safety, and wellbeing of its Volunteers. Funding at $479 million for fiscal year 2026 would ensure that this progress continues so Volunteers can continue reinforcing American ideals and providing support for developing nations.

Thank you for your leadership and past efforts to provide the Peace Corps with the resources needed to support the next generation of American leaders who volunteer abroad.

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