Following the recommendation of the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $324.5 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in its FY 2006 budget. The Senate committee's appropriation marks a $6 million cut from the funding level passed by the House of Representatives last week. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a staunch supporter of legal aid and a former legal aid lawyer himself, voiced deep concern about the committee's decision to cut $6 million from LSC's funding. Senator Harkin says that he plans to introduce an amendment before the full Senate to raise LSC's FY 2006 budget to $363 million because "we have to find some way to get the funding back up on the floor." Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Harkin in condemning the reduction in LSC's funding, adding, "We should not be cutting this program. This cut is a blow to the weakest in our society." The FY 2006 budget likely will go to the full Senate for a vote in late July or early August.