President Makes Another Cash Call
President Bush was helping collect $1.1 million for Connecticut Republicans, including two vulnerable members of the House, as he asked lawmakers Tuesday to revamp laws on federal volunteer programs.
"One of the things I feel very passionate about is our need to inspire the armies of compassion which exist in neighborhoods all throughout America," the president said.
In his 15th fund-raising swing of the year, Mr. Bush traveled here to aid Republican Reps. Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons. Republicans hold a narrow edge in the House and are trying to regain control of the Senate. Mr. Bush has been crisscrossing the nation to raise money for their campaigns heading into the November elections.
He was also raising money here for Republican Gov. John G. Rowland, a personal friend.
Because of redistricting, Johnson's seat is being eliminated and merged with another district, which Democratic Rep. Jim Maloney has represented since 1997. Their contest is the nation's most closely matched race pairing incumbents from opposing parties.
Simmons, meanwhile, could be vulnerable as a freshman incumbent.
White House officials said the event was raising $600,000 for Simmons, Johnson and a GOP congressional committee, and $500,000 for Rowland and the state party. Tickets for the luncheon cost up to $2,000 each, with a $5,000 charge for a photo with the president, state party officials said.
In Bridgeport, Mr. Bush praised a cooperative education program that includes after-school and summer tutoring, computer programs, cultural and recreational programs, support groups, youth leadership opportunities and mentorships.
He toured the South End Community Center and watched as AmeriCorps volunteers helped teen-agers with their homework, complimenting one young man on his penmanship.
At a nearby auditorium, Mr. Bush said national service is a good response to terrorism.
"If you want to fight evil, find somebody to help. I'm prepared to help you find somebody to help, if you want help," he said.
The president's focus on volunteerism for a second straight day coincided with a Senate committee hearing on two laws that authorize major federal programs on volunteering, including AmeriCorps and the Senior Corps.
The two laws have not been reviewed in almost a decade, said Lindsey Kozberg, spokeswoman for USA Freedom Corps, the White House office coordinating Mr. Bush's call to volunteer service.
The president sent Congress a 17-page outline of his principles on how to improve the programs. He would give state and local officials more power to provide volunteer opportunities in communities they represent, and provide more assistance to religious groups by including more of them in service programs.
"While most of our nation's civic work is being done without the aid of government, the federal government can do a much better job in helping support and encourage a culture of community service and civic responsibility," Mr. Bush said in a foreword to the package he sent Congress.
By discussing federal volunteer programs, the White House was able to split the cost of Tuesday's trip between the Republican Party and the taxpayers.