Kathy Castor: “Thank you to the ranking member for yielding to me. I rise today to oppose the Scott amendment and urge the House to…”

“Thank you to the ranking member for yielding to me. I rise today to oppose the Scott amendment and urge the House to oppose the excessive cuts to the nonprofit and independent Legal Services Corporation. I am right in sync with the ranking member's comments, and appreciate the Republican committee chair's opposition to this amendment as well. Legal Services has a mission to ``provide equal access to the system of justice'' in America. It is the most important provider of civil legal aid for Americans who cannot afford high-priced legal counsel. In fact, legal representation often is out of reach for many American families. This amendment will make the lives of millions of American families even more challenging. Plus, if you take away legal counsel, you also complicate the resolution of disputes for businesses and others as well. You all know Legal Services is not a Washington-based bureaucratic program. To the contrary, there are legal aid attorneys and professionals in every State, with more than 800 offices. Legal Services' moneys are put to work back home across America outside of Washington. In my Tampa Bay community, Bay Area Legal Services has a number of community-based offices and is helping the wheels of justice turn for everyone. What type of legal help? Foreclosure, consumer assistance, domestic violence. Many of the domestic violence victims are simply trying to keep their children safe and their families together.…”