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 Letters to the 106th Congress August 3, 1999 Dear Representative: When the House considers H.R. 2670, the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill for FY 2000, Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN) will lead a bipartisan effort to restore funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). As you may know, the House Appropriations Committee slashed funding for LSC to $141 million for FY 2000, from the current year funding of $300 million. The American Bar Association urges you to vote for the Ramstad amendment and help ensure critical access to our system of justice for millions of Americans who cannot afford legal assistance. LSC recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Corporation, formed in 1974 with bipartisan Congressional support and the endorsement of the Nixon Administration, was created to ensure that all Americans had access to a lawyer and the justice system for civil legal issues regardless of their ability to pay. Today, this is more important than ever. Despite the booming economy, the need for legal services by low income Americans has never been greater. Studies show that only 20 percent of the legal needs of the poor are being met. More than 35 million Americans continue to live in poverty, making more than one in five eligible for LSC-funded representation. Last year, the House voted overwhelmingly, 255-170, to restore funding for LSC. This year, the ABA asks you to vote for the Ramstad amendment to restore LSC's funding at or near the current level of $300 million. The ABA would be pleased to provide additional information regarding LSC's funding or the provision of legal services for the poor. I hope you will contact Julie Strandlie, in the ABA's Governmental Affairs Office, at (202) 662-1764. Respectfully yours, |
AMERICAN BAR
ASSOCIATION Governmental Affairs Office 740 Fifteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 ph: 202-662-1760 fx: 202-662-1762 |
