President Urges Congress to Pass National-Service Legislation

In a speech tonight to a joint session of Congress, President Obama called on lawmakers to pass a bill that would greatly increase participation in national-service programs.

Mr. Obama urged members of the House and Senate to pass the Serve America Act, which has been introduced by Sens. Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, and Edward Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts.

The legislation would more than triple participation in year-long national-service programs like AmeriCorps to 250,000 by 2013.

It would also create several new service programs and provide money to help nonprofit groups recruit volunteers and spread innovative projects.

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