Excerpt from Oversight of the Legal Services Corporation, 1983: Hearing Before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources United States Senate Ninety-Eight Congress First Session on Oversight of Certain Activities of the Legal Services Corporation, Focusing on Policies at the Corporation and Political Activities

The chairman. Today, we are continuing our oversight hearings on the Legal Services Corporation which we began on May 4, 1983. As I stated at the conclusion of that hearing, the testimony that the committee received did little to answer the allegations that have been made against the Corporation. There was a disconcert ing absence of hard data as to how much money the grantees actu ally have, how much money they need, and what they are spending their existing funds on. There also seems to be confusion over whether congressional prohibitions are being followed in both their letter and spirit, or whether Corporation grantees and employees are working together to circumvent the intentions of Congress.

As a result, it seemed prudent to the committee to delay rushing forward and marking up a reauthorization bill until we could first develop an understanding of the problems confronting the Corpora tion and the best means available for resolving them.

The five key issues which we will be addressing during the hear ings this week are: First, whether the Corporation is engaged in lobbying prohibited by statute, second, whether the Corporation employees and grantees have sought to circumvent congressional requests and prohibitions and to cover up involvement In activities prohibited by statute; third, why the Corporation over the last 3 years has failed to spend an average of $41 million per year, at a time when it is claiming that it has insufficient funds to fulfill its mandate; fourth, whether there should be a limit on the kinds of suits the Federal Government is funding, allegedly in the interest of legal service clients, and fifth, what steps can be taken by Con gress to insure that legal services are provided in a manner which is both nonpolitical and client oriented.

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