mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. chairman , i do not think the gentleman is a big fan of americorps , and the attempt really here is to reduce americorps more than to enhance the other program , because we have already added $ 100 million in new money in the teacher innovation program . 
it is a great program , and i am a great believer that teachers are the key to a good education , so i do not quarrel with the idea . 
i wish we had more money to do that . 
but , on the other hand , americorps is a very important program , because it is made up of volunteers , a lot of times young people . 
they get a little stipend to help with their education , but they do not get paid . 
you have volunteers who are working in a community , on education , public safety , probably doing mentoring for students , which is extremely important . 
i think that perhaps the goal that the gentleman is trying to achieve is desirable , but the target the gentleman has , which is americorps , would be a mistake given the fact that americorps has a very important role to play . 
i like volunteers . 
the president is a big booster of volunteers . 
he has a goal of getting 75 , 000 americorps members as volunteers , and this would in part stifle the president 's goal of getting these people . 
so i would hope the gentleman would withdraw his amendment , or at least not go to a vote on it , because i think the innovative program is good , but americorps is good , and in limited budgets we need to keep that program going . 
