Trump Budget Cuts Legal Services Corp.

In his first budget proposal as president, Donald Trump would eliminate 19 agencies, including the Legal Services Corp. The American Bar Association said it is “outraged” that the Trump administration is proposing to eliminate LSC’s funding, and called on members of Congress to restore it. “Some of the worthy services the LSC provides include securing housing for veterans, protecting seniors from scams, delivering legal services to rural areas, protecting victims of domestic abuse and helping disaster survivors,” ABA President Linda Klein said in a statement. “More than 30 cost-benefit studies all show that legal aid delivers far more in benefits than it costs.” More than 150 U.S. law firms wrote to Trump, saying eliminating funds for the LSC would hamper their ability to provide pro bono representation because they partner with legal aid groups receiving LSC funding. “The pro bono activity facilitated by LSC funding is exactly the kind of public-private partnership the government should encourage, not eliminate,” the letter states. The LSC requested $502 million for fiscal year 2017, and received $385 million in appropriations for fiscal year 2016.