At any time, the Call to Service Act introduced to Congress this week would be a welcome piece of legislation. At this particular time, its comprehensive expansion of civilian volunteer and military-service options is crucial for two reasons.

First, as the sponsors say, they will harness the renewed spirit of national unity to improve American society. Second, the war against terrorism will be long and difficult. It has been nearly two months since the terrorist attacks, yet most Americans have been given no outlet for their desire to serve their country. As reactions to recent anthrax attacks – from malicious copycat hoaxes to hysteric overreaction – suggest, that spirit of unity can degrade quickly

if not put to use.

The sponsors of this bill are Republican John McCain of Arizona and Democrat Evan Bayh of Indiana in the Senate, and Democrat Harold Ford of Tennessee and Republican Tom Osborne of Nebraska in the House. The extensive provisions cover every American from high-school students to senior citizens.

The bill expands AmeriCorps fivefold, from 50,000 to 250,000 members, with half of the new positions dedicated to homeland defense and with the current tax on the AmeriCorps education award eliminated. It expands eligibility for the Senior Corps by removing income guidelines and by adding a stipend for low-income participants, allowing more seniors to serve in a variety of capacities, including education, long-term care and as foster grandparents. A new “Silver Scholarship” program will reward seniors who have logged 500 hours of tutoring and mentoring with a $1,000 education award which can be used for the education of a child designated by the volunteer.

The bill addresses the increased personnel needs of the military, allowing the Defense Department to create a new, shorter-term enlistment option known as the “18-18-18 plan” in which a person could serve 18 months in active duty plus 18 months in the military reserve and receive an $18,000 bonus payment which can be used for educational purposes, in addition to regular pay, at the end. It also significantly improves benefits of the GI Bill, creates opportunities for military retirees to serve their country again as instructors at basic training schools and enhances recruiter access to college campuses.

It will bring much-needed reform to the college work-study program, which has strayed from its original purpose of encouraging students to participate in community service activities. Today, more than 90 percent of federal work-study funds are used to finance low-paying jobs for colleges and universities, such as food service and custodial work; the bill requires that at least 25 percent of the federal money be used for community service.

A third reason this bill is needed, sorely needed, now is Congress itself. As the recent ugly and unnecessarily partisan bickering over airline security and economic stimulus legislation showed, the spirit of unity is nowhere as fleeting as it is on Capitol Hill. Thoughtful debate on the Call to Service Act may help bring it back.