[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                    FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BONAMICI. 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. These cases are not given the attention they 
deserve in an underresourced public defense system. A strong Federal 
public defense system, which is something that has historically been 
bipartisan here in the Capitol, enhances the confidence of everyone who 
has an interest in an efficient, reliable, and fair Federal justice 
system, including crime victims and the public at large.
  Congress must adequately compensate Federal public defenders for the 
unintended consequences of the fiscal year 2024 cost-saving measures. 
We must restore training and cybersecurity infrastructure investments, 
and we must address the cost pressures for personnel in those offices 
and other essentials. This is important for our criminal justice system 
and for fairness. Let's get it done.

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