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The Trump administration has agreed to release $184 million for AmeriCorps, the federal agency for service and volunteerism, after a coalition of 22 attorneys general and two governors sued in April.
The coalition, including New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, challenged the administration’s plans to eliminate 90 percent of AmeriCorps’ workforce, cancel contracts and close $400 million worth of programs the agency supports, Platkin’s office said in a statement.
AmeriCorps, a federal agency signed into law in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton, places roughly 200,000 members across the United States at 35,000 service locations, according to current agency data.
It supports national and state community service programs by funding and placing volunteers in local national organizations that address critical community needs. It also provides support for organizations to recruit and supervise volunteers.
Members serve in schools, local governments and with a wide range of nonprofits that focus on health, disaster relief, environmental stewardship, workforce development and veterans.
The frozen funding has created uncertainty for AmeriCorps programs across the country.
“When the Trump Administration targeted AmeriCorps and hurt communities across our state, we vowed to fight back, and today we have won,” Platkin said. “The funding we have secured for AmeriCorps will help New Jersey residents and ensure that AmeriCorps’ volunteers – who help our state at no cost – are still able to perform their critical responsibilities. We will never stop fighting for New Jersey when this Administration or anyone attempts to hurt our state – and we will continue to deliver results for our residents.”
In June, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction that reinstated hundreds of AmeriCorps programs that were unlawfully canceled and barred the agency from making further cuts without going through a formal rulemaking process.
New Jersey Monitor provides fair and tough reporting on the issues affecting New Jersey.
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