On the recordFebruary 15, 2011
I just wonder whether or not there's any shame when it comes to literally gutting the Legal Services Corporation some $324 million and practically eliminating any opportunity for justice. I just want to repeat some of the words that were offered: slush fund for special interests, lobbying, and political activities. We spent some time in the 1990s on the Judiciary Committee looking closely at the Legal Services Corporation and, frankly, gave generous oversight on some of the issues that might have suggested that there were other activities going on. When the Legal Services Corporation non-profits come from around the Nation, you are seeing members of the bar who are from major law firms, major leaders in the community who are on the boards of these particular services, local offices, and they have the highest standard of legal excellence that they try to portray and therefore try to encourage as relates to the representation of poor people. My brother-in-law, to his death, was a legal services lawyer in New York. Not one time did I see him or hear of him doing anything other than attempting to do justice for people who could not achieve such. I, frankly, believe when you talk about a continuing resolution, make it very clear: it is stopping programs in the middle of operation. It is closing 136 offices in midstream.
