Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007

SCIENCE, STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to speak to two different issues. One is the potential amendment to the Voting Rights Act, where a suggestion may be made to withhold funding for the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil rights pieces of legislation in the history of the United States, and we should not do anything to avoid the full and fair enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

That bill should be coming up in a few days. We do not know exactly when. There has been an agreement with leadership that the bill be adopted as it came out of committee. It came out of committee 31-1, so we would hope that the leadership would bring it to the floor.

Mr. Chairman, there is another issue that is extremely important, and that is the Legal Services Corporation. If we are going to have people enjoy the rights that they have throughout America, we have to make sure that they have access to courts. The legal Services Corporation, primarily legal aid programs across the country, are extremely important; and we need to make sure that they are fully funded. The bill includes a provision where the number is lower than it should be, and we need to make sure that the amendments to increase Legal Services are adopted.

So, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's giving me the opportunity to bring these two issues to the floor. ]

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