Herb Kohl: “I rise today with Senator Graham to introduce the Justice for Troops Act. This legislation offers a simple solution to a…”

“I rise today with Senator Graham to introduce the Justice for Troops Act. This legislation offers a simple solution to a serious problem that affects the well-being of our troops and their families. Today, when service men and women face civil legal problems they often have no access to legal assistance. When these troops face such problems, like child custody issues, complications with leases, mortgage payments or credit card debt that should be protected under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or disputes over a bank account, they often have no access to legal assistance. Without representation, troops run the risk of losing custody of their children, being evicted from their home, or facing financial ruin. This is unjust, especially when there are many lawyers willing to volunteer their services for free. The Justice for Troops Act would solve this problem by connecting service men and women with pro bono lawyers. It would do so by authorizing the Department of Defense, DoD, to use up to $500,000 of funds already appropriated for operation and maintenance to support programs that make these connections and ensure that our troops have access to the legal representation they need.…”