Cochran to go to bat for young volunteers

The Sun Herald, 9/13/7

One of the most popular voluntary programs that came to public attention in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the National Civilian Community Corps, is facing a budget crunch.

The House has passed an appropriation for fiscal year 2008 that would dramatically cut back funding for NCCC from $26 million this year to the president’s proposed budget level of $11 million. But in the Senate Appropriations Committee, the program has a booster – Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., the panel’s powerful ranking Republican.