Co-Chairmen Amata and Garamendi Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor the 65th Anniversary of the Peace Corps

September 22, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata and Congressman John Garamendi , who serve as bipartisan Co-Chairmen of the Congressional Peace Corps Caucus, introduced a bipartisan concurrent resolution to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Peace Corps. Image Caucus Co-Chairman Amata speaking at a Peace Corps event in July 2026 Congresswoman Aumua Amata said, “Thank you to 65 years of Peace Corps volunteers that have made a difference for millions of people throughout the world, and congratulations to the Peace Corps on this milestone. This Resolution provides congressional recognition for a proven program built on lasting values of serving others. It’s a pleasure to work with returned volunteer Congressman Garamendi to encourage Peace Corps volunteers for many years to come. I have fond memories of my time as a Peace Corps staffer, as does my daughter, a returned volunteer.” The resolution officially honors the service, legacy, and ongoing global impact of the nearly 250,000 Americans who have answered the call to service since the agency’s founding in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, who issued his historic call to service that March, and Congress through the Peace Corps Act, which passed the Senate by voice vote and the House with large bipartisan majority support. Co-Chairman Amata served as a Peace Corps staffer in the Northern Mariana Islands, and one of her daughters, Kirsten, is a returned volunteer. Co-Chairman Garamendi is the only returned Peace Corps volunteer serving in Congress. In March, they led a bipartisan letter in support of the agency’s necessary funding. Image Peace Corps Caucus Co-Chairmen Aumua Amata and John Garamendi Congressman Garamendi (D-CA-08) said, "Patti and I answered President John F. Kennedy’s call to service fresh out of college, serving together in a small village in western Ethiopia. That experience changed our lives and inspired a lifetime of public service for us for several of our children who also answered the call. Sixty-five years later, the Peace Corps remains one of America’s most vital instruments of soft power, food security, and international goodwill. As we celebrate this 65th anniversary, Congress must continue to support a stronger, modernized Peace Corps that is fully prepared to face the global challenges of the 21st century." Read the concurrent resolution (H.Con.Res.119) here . This year, the Peace Corps commemorates 65 years of promoting peace and friendship through volunteer service. As the U.S. government’s premier international volunteering agency, the Corps sends skilled Americans abroad to collaborate on projects that advance both American and host country priorities. Since 1961, the Peace Corps has advanced U.S. global engagement in this way through the work of Volunteers serving in 144 host countries. ### Issues : Foreign Affairs