A message from Col William P. Davis, USMC (Ret)
CEO, Young Marines

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a very important call for immediate action, and we need your help. Our Young Marines’ program historically has received federal funding on an annual basis of 4 million dollars. Upon returning from the Adult Leaders Conference we were advised our federal funding for fiscal year 2020 is currently slated for 1 million dollars. A fiscal cutback of this nature would greatly impact our ability to provide the current level of services and programs to our Young Marines and Volunteers.

This has me engaged daily in meeting with members of congress and their staffs. I am providing them as much information on the benefits of all to we do to gain support to restore our funding to 4 million dollars next year. Our Caucus Chairs, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) have been extremely supportive in this effort for the last 3 months. We would not be this far without their belief in our program and the work of their staffs. Working together, today they sponsored the Amendment to restore this funding! However, it still needs to be voted on and pass.

There is a chance we can recover some or all our funding next week in the House of Representatives. We need your help to reach out to your local congressional representative and ask them to support our amendment next week with their vote in favor of restoring our funding. We have bipartisan support with plenty of Democrats and Republicans on our caucus in support of youth development. There is strength in numbers and every vote counts this week.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Phone calls and emails will greatly increase our chances to restore funding. The current schedule has the Defense Bill votes starting on Wednesday 11 June so please reach out Monday and Tuesday this week. These calls can be to the local offices or the Washington DC Office. The office numbers will be listed on their website. Find your representative via this link and type in your zip code: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

2. Be brief but tell them why this program is important to your Young Marines and why we need to keep it funded to help support their development into engaged citizens and responsible healthy adults. I have plenty of stories I tell, I know all of you have plenty of success stories of the impact this program has had on youth in your communities.

3. If you have met the Congressperson or staff before at an event, remind them of this.

4. HERE IS THE ASK (May help to put this part in bold or underline to draw attention if in an email): When calling or sending an email to your local congressional representative, the amendment we need them to support is below, we are asking them to support this amendment and vote for it:

AMENDMENT TO DIVISION C TO RULES
OFFERED BY MR. MOULTON OF MASSACHUSETTS
Defense Appropriations Bill: Page 251, line 10 and 12.
Counter Drug, Drug Demand Reduction

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: If approved in the House, then it would move onto the Senate. I am already working on the Senate. They have been receptive and supportive, but we need to win on the House side first and timing is critical. I will provide more information as it becomes available.

Thanks for all you do, and I am confident that we will win this back together.

Semper Fidelis, Col Davis
Col William P. Davis, USMC (Ret)
CEO, Young Marines