Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise serious concerns about the ongoing underfunding of our Federal public defender program. Nearly 90 percent of defendants in Federal court cannot afford their own attorney. Defendants have a constitutional right to an attorney in criminal cases. Without Federal defenders, the justice system can't function, and defendants are not able to get a speedy trial. Any loss of Federal public defenders increases court delays and costs, sometimes significantly, because of reliance on private panel attorneys, who are usually more costly and often have less experience. This is a particularly precarious moment for the Federal defender program. In fiscal year 2024, an inadvertent budgeting error resulted in initial funding levels that were more than $100 million less than what the program needed across the country. In response, the program implemented a series of cost-saving measures, including a hard hiring freeze, suspension of training opportunities, and deferral of cybersecurity upgrades. Insufficient funding for the Federal public defender program affects not only the rights of indigent individuals charged with Federal crimes, but also the overall operation of the Federal criminal justice system. When the Federal public defense system is underfunded, it creates delays in processing criminal cases, backlogs in U.S. Attorney's Offices, and an increase in appeals. Additionally, we are seeing more complex cases that require increased forensic evaluation.…”