Political Quotes

“Today I rise with Senator Chafee to reintroduce legislation to include full-time public defense attorneys in the Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Forgiveness Program for law enforcement officers. This bill would provide parity to public defense attorneys and uphold the goals set forth by the Supreme Court to equalize access to legal resources. Senators Feinstein, Bingaman, Akaka, Kerry, Sarbanes, Johnson, and Inouye are original cosponsors of this bipartisan bill. Representative Tom Campbell of California introduced a companion bill in the House in the 106th Congress. Under section 465(a)(2)(F) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, a borrower with a loan made under the Federal Perkins Loan Program is eligible to have the loan canceled for serving full-time as a law enforcement officer or correction officer in a local, State, or Federal law enforcement or corrections agency. While the rules governing borrower eligibility for law enforcement cancellation have been interpreted by the Department of Education to include prosecuting attorneys, public defenders have been excluded from the loan forgiveness program. This policy must be amended. Like prosecutors, public defense attorneys play an integral role in our adversarial process. This judicial process is the most effective means of getting at truth and rendering justice.”