Hank Johnson: “When Congress passed the CR in December, the Federal…”

“One might think that programs guaranteed under the Constitution would be an exception, but that doesn't appear to be the case either. When Congress passed the CR in December, the Federal Defender services budget was frozen at the level from the year before, leaving the program at a critical shortfall. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to an attorney in criminal proceedings, and under federal statute, courts are required to appoint counsel from federal public and community defender organizations or from a panel of private attorneys established by the court.” (03:07–03:24)

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.