[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 118 (Friday, July 25, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2014

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, Friday, July 25, marks the 40th anniversary 
of the establishment of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). In 1974, 
Congress, with bipartisan support, established LSC to be a major source 
of funding for civil legal aid in this country. LSC is a private, 
nonprofit corporation, funded by Congress, as well as by state, local, 
and private contributions, with the mission to ensure equal access to 
justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal 
assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it. LSC 
distributes nearly 94 percent of its annual Federal appropriations to 
134 local legal aid programs, with nearly 800 offices serving every 
congressional district and U.S. territories.
   LSC-funded legal aid programs make a crucial difference to millions 
of Americans by assisting with the most basic civil legal needs, such 
as addressing matters involving safety, subsistence, and family 
stability. These low-income Americans are women seeking protection from 
abuse, mothers trying to obtain child support, families facing unlawful 
evictions or foreclosures that could leave them homeless, veterans 
seeking their duly-earned benefits, seniors defending against consumer 
scams, and individuals who have lost their jobs and need help in 
applying for unemployment compensation and other benefits.
   In my district, LSC provides funding to California Rural Legal 
Assistance (CRLA), an organization that served 27,000 individuals, and 
recovered over $2.5 million dollars for their low-income clients, in 
2012. CRLA serves a wide array of clients, such as farmworkers, 
individuals with disabilities, immigrant populations, school children, 
lesbian/gay/bisexual and transgender populations, seniors, and 
individuals with limited English proficiency. Nearly 60 percent of CRLA 
clients are women. It is crucial that we continue to provide adequate 
funding to LSC so organizations like CRLA can provide these essential 
services.
   In my role as a senior member of the Commerce, Justice, Science 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I have fought to increase LSC funding, and 
have sought to remove federal restrictions on how LSC can use state, 
local, and private funds to more efficiently use the resources it has 
available to serve low-income clients. I will continue to work to 
provide LSC with the resources and flexibility it needs to ensure equal 
access to justice.
   On this 40th anniversary, I salute the Legal Services Corporation, 
and LSC-funded attorneys, for the vital work they do every day on 
behalf of Americans who need qualified counsel.