Office of the Attorney General, Saipan – Attorney General Edward Manibusan, joined by a bipartisan group of 39 other attorneys general across the country, is urging Congress to keep in place critical funding for the Legal Services Corporation, or LSC.
In a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the House and Senate Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Weiser and the other attorneys general called on Congress to continue LSC’s critical mission of providing legal assistance to people in rural communities, veterans and military families, domestic violence survivors, older adults victimized by scams and fraud, and any others who might struggle to afford an attorney in civil legal matters.
“Every person should have access to availing of legal services when critically needed. Prioritizing the investment of funding into the LSC is essential to ensuring that the CNMI and communities across our nation are provided legal assistance, especially those who face an economic barrier,” says Manibusan.
LSC operates a network of 130 independent legal aid organizations in over 900 offices in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, assisting millions of Americans in every congressional district with legal needs such as securing veterans’ benefits, support with natural disasters, and providing access to legal services for people in rural areas such as the CNMI.
Attorneys general have a long history of supporting federal funding for LSC. With Congressional leaders debating potential budget cuts, the bipartisan group of attorneys general are joining forces to urge leaders from both parties to prioritize funding for LSC, calling the organization a good steward of taxpayer dollars. The letter also notes the corporation distributes 95% of its funding directly to the legal aid organizations providing services to Americans.
Joining Attorney General Manibusan in signing the letter are the attorneys general of Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.