Article Link: http://tinyurl.com/obamasyouthbrigade

Is this the change you really voted for? President Obama has only been in office for two months. Now we have HR 1388. The Bill was sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) with 37 others. The Bill was introduced to the floor of the House of Representatives where both Republicans and Democrats voted 321-105 in favor. Next it goes to the Senate for a vote and then on to President Obama.

This bill's title is called "Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education" (GIVE). It forms what some are calling "Obama's Youth Brigade." Obama's plan is require anyone receiving school loans and others to serve at least three months as part of the brigade. His goal is one million youth! This has serious Nazi Germany overtones to it.

The Bill would forbid any student in the brigade to participate in "engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization." That means no church attendance or witnessing.

Again, is this what America voted for? Here is part of the HR1388 Bill's wording:

SEC. 1304. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

Section 125 (42 U.S.C. 12575) is amended to read as follows:

SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities:

(1) Attempting to influence legislation.

(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.
...

(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.

And finally

(10) Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.

Update: Bill passed in Senate March 26th, 2009.
Senate Roll Call #115 Details
H.R.1388: To reauthorize and reform the national service laws.

Update: April 1st, 2009

In the GIVE legislation, SEC. 1304. Section 125 was repealed in it's entirety from the bill. People who opposed the restrictions on church attendance rejoiced. However, closer examination reveals that the text listing Prohibited Activities
was inserted further down in the bill in SEC. 1310 SEC 132A in it's entirety with the addition of even one more prohibited activity.

See text from edited bill here:

SEC. 1304. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONSCONFORMING REPEAL RELATING TO TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

Section 125 (42 U.S.C. 12575) is amended to read as follows: 'SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.'(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities:'(1) Attempting to influence legislation.'(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.'(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing.'(4) Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements.'(5) Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office.'(6) Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials.'(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.'(8) Providing a direct benefit to--'(A) a business organized for profit;'(B) a labor organization;'(C) a partisan political organization;'(D) a nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and'(E) an organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (7), unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities.'(9) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive.'(10) Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.'(b) Ineligible Organizations- No assistance provided under this subtitle may be provided to the following types of organizations (including the participation of a participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle in activities conducted by such organizations) or to organizations that are co-located on the same premises as the following organizations:'(1) Organizations that provide or promote abortion services, including referral for such services.'(2) For-profit organizations, political parties, labor organizations, or organizations engaged in political or legislative advocacy.'(3) Organizations that have been indicted for voter fraud.'(c) Nondisplacement of Employed Workers or Other Volunteers- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not perform any services or duties or engage in activities which--'(1) would otherwise be performed by an employed worker as part of his or her assigned duties as an employee or by another volunteer who is not a participant in an approved national service position; or'(2) will supplant the hiring of employed workers or work of such other volunteers.' repealed.

(As stated above, the wording from SEC. 1304 was inserted further down in the bill into SEC. 1310 SEC 132A with the addition of even one more prohibited activity...see below)

SEC. 1310. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

Subtitle C of title I (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 132 the following: CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

'SEC. 132A. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

'(a) Prohibited Activities- An approved national service position under this subtitle may not be used for the following activities: CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

'(1) Attempting to influence legislation. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

'(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.
...CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

'(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of proselytization, consistent with section 132.
...CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

'(10) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive. CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

'(11) Carrying out such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.