The National Service Organizations are pressing Congress to expand the benefits of the next relief bill that includes more jobs for young people, stipend, and more educational grants. 

Washington
(Photo : Pexels)

The end is near for the CARES Act. It will end in most states this week, while other states will have it by next week. Either it will end this week or next week; one thing is just for sure, millions of Americans will no longer receive the stimulus or unemployment benefits. 

After the Democratic-led bill HEROES Act was rejected in May, the National Service Organizations are now proposing CORPS Act. The bill now has the support of eight Republicans and eight Democratic lawmakers led by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons and co-authored by Republican Sen. Roger Wicker.

The National Service Organizations are pressing to expand AmeriCorps and other similar programs in the next relief package. It also aims to employs hundreds of thousands of young people to help rebuild communities devastated by the global pandemic. 

Meanwhile, aside from increasing and hiring more jobs from 75,000 to 250,000 every year over three years through the CORPS Act, the bill also aims to boost the program's per-employee stipend to $25,000 every year. According to a published article in NBC News, it also seeks to increase the educational grant for participants to $12,000.

According to AnnMaura Connolly, President of the nonprofit group Voices for National Service, minorities, veterans, Native Americans, people with atypical abilities, and people who have had contact with the juvenile justice system would be prioritized in the hiring process. 

The CORPS Act is designed to help the most vulnerable groups in the global pandemic. This means prioritizing the Latinos, Hispanics, African-Americans, and other minority groups in the country who were devastated by the pandemic. 

On Sunday, Connolly and Rye Barcott, the co-founder and CEO of the veterans' group With Honor Action, wrote a letter to the Senate and House leaders. Their letter wrote that federal funding is not enough to help address the core weaknesses in education. 

In a telephone interview with Connolly, she said that this is a redefining moment for this generation of young people. She also firmly believed that young people want to become a part of helping the country recover from the economic fallout. 

However, Doug Andres, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said that he did not yet have the guidance on whether the bill's provisions were likely to be included in the next stimulus. This is after he was asked about the CORPS Act. 

But supporters of the legislation are ramping up, including the veterans' service organizations. According to Barcott, the letter they sent on Sunday will be followed by an ad campaign and stakeholder calls to Senate offices. 

Barcott admitted, "The odds at this stage of getting anything done, obviously at this time of ridiculous polarization, is difficult," However, he is optimistic that it will eventually be included in the next stimulus. 

Check these out!