House passes bill under Biden’s veto threat that would give Trump more federal judge appointments
The House approved a bipartisan bill Thursday, which authorizes the creation of 63 permanent district judges over the next decade. President-elect Trump will be able to fill 22 of these positions during his second term.
This week, the White House issued a statement stating that President Biden will veto any bill that reaches his desk.
The Senate passed in August the “Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergency Solved Act”, or “JUDGES act of 2024,” that staggers the 63 permanent judgeships that the president can choose over the next ten years. The bill cites the heavy caseloads on courts as a reason for the president to appoint eleven of these permanent judgeships by 2025, and another 11 in 2027. According to the bill, another 10 judges would be appointed by the president in 2029. Another 11 judges will be appointed in 2031. 10 additional judges will be appointed in 2033. And 10 more will also become permanent in 2035.
Now, however key Democrats are back away from the bill, after Trump won the presidential election, and deplore how it wasn’t voted until after Election Day.
|
In a press release, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that the House had passed the JUDGES act, which authorizes additional federal judges in order to provide timely and fair justice to the American people. This important legislation received broad bipartisan support in August when it was unanimously approved by the Senate. It directly addresses the urgent need to reduce the backlog of cases in our federal court system and strengthen its efficiency.
He added: “At the time, Democrats supported this bill because they believed Kamala would win the presidency.” “Now, however the Biden-Harris administration has decided to issue a threat of veto and Democrats have whipped themselves against this bill. They are standing in the path of progress because of partisan political reasons.” This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It should be about prioritizing American citizens and ensuring that the courts can deliver fair, impartial and timely justice.
The House passed the proposal on Thursday with a vote of 236 to 173, and 29 Democrats voted in its favor.
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), the bill’s Democratic sponsor in the House, announced in a floor address Thursday, before the vote, that he is now against the measure.
You can’t pick a horse that has already won a race. “But that’s what my Republican colleagues want to do today,” said he.
The White House announced on Tuesday that while “judicial staffing” is essential to the rule-of-law, the JUDGES act is “unnecessary for the efficient and effective administration justice.”
The statement stated that “the bill would create new judgeships in states where Senators sought to hold existing judicial vacancies open.” The statement said that the efforts to fill vacancies indicate that the real motivation behind this bill is not judicial economy or caseload. The Senate and the House have not fully examined how the work done by senior status judges or magistrate judges impacts the need for additional judgeships.
“Further still, although the Senate had passed the bill in August, the House did not take it up for consideration until after the elections.” The White House said that adding judges in a hurry with only a few weeks remaining in the 118th Congress will not resolve important questions, particularly regarding the allocation of judges.
Sens. The bill was co-sponsored by Todd Young, R.-Ind. and Chris Coons (D-Del.) in the Senate.
In a bipartisan vote the House passed my JUDGES act to address the shortages of federal judges as well as the severe delays Americans experience. Young, writing on Thursday for X, urged President Biden to sign the JUDGES Act into law. The legislation has the support of leading legal groups and advocates in our country.
No Comments