This year, the annual House Peace Corps funding letter was more important than ever.
With news of significant restructuring and staff reductions planned at the Peace Corps, RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Delegate Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) urged their colleagues to sign a letter to the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee, requesting $479 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2026—an increase from the current funding level of $430.5 million.
May 14th was the last day of this action.
Thanks to your efforts, we secured 126 signatures this year…14 above last year’s letter.
Visit the National Peace Corps Action Center to thank your representative if they signed the letter – or encourage them to support the Peace Corps going forward.
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.
Here is a pdf of the final letter with signatures (the text of the letter can be found at the end of this news post).
DEADLINE to sign on: May 14, 2025 (THIS LETTER IS NOW CLOSED)
SIGNATURES as of 9:00 AM (ET), May 15, 2025: 126
Alabama: Figures, Sewell
American Samoa: Radewagen (co-author)
Arizona: Ansari
California: Barragan, Bera, Brownley, Carbajal, Chu, Correa, Costa, DeSaulnier, Friedman, Garamendi (co-author), Huffman, Liccardo, Kamlager-Dove, Khanna, Lieu, Matsui, Mullin, Panetta, Peters, Ruiz, Sanchez, Simon, Swalwell, Takano, Thompson, Vargas, Whitesides
Colorado: Crow, DeGette, Pettersen
Connecticut: Courtney, Hayes, Himes, Larson
Delaware: McBride
District of Columbia: Norton
Florida: Cherfilus-McCormick, Moskowitz, Wilson
Georgia: Bishop, Johnson, McBath, David Scott, Williams
Hawaii: Tokuda
Illinois: Budzinski, Casten, Davis, Foster, Jackson, Kelly, Krishnamoorthi, Schakowsky, Schneider
Indiana: Carson
Kansas: Davids
Louisiana: Carter
Maine: Pingree
Maryland: Elfreth, Olszewski, Raskin
Massachusetts: Keating, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Pressley, Trahan
Michigan: Dingell, Stevens, Thanedar, Tlaib
Minnesota: Craig, Morrison
Mississippi: Thompson
Missouri: Bell, Cleaver
Nevada: Titus
New Jersey: Pallone, Sherrill
New Mexico: Leger-Fernandez, Stansbury
New York: Clarke, Lawler, Mannion, Meeks, Ryan, Tonko, Torres, Velazquez
North Carolina: Adams, Foushee
Northern Mariana Islands: King-Hinds
Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Landsman
Oregon: Bonamici, Dexter, Hoyle
Pennsylvania: Boyle, Deluzio, Evans, Houlahan
Rhode Island: Amo
Tennessee: Cohen
Texas: Castro, Crockett, Doggett, Fletcher, Vicente Gonzalez, Veasey
Virgin Islands: Plaskett
Virginia: Beyer, Connolly, McClellan, Subramanyam
Washington: DelBene, Jayapal, 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.