House Passes Bill to Create 63 New Permanent Federal Judgeships, But Democrats Flip on Support
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill on Thursday to create 63 new permanent federal judgeships over the next 10 years. However, key Democrats have suddenly backed away from the legislation after President-elect Joe Biden won the presidency.
The “Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act” or the “JUDGES Act of 2024” would allow the president to appoint new judges to alleviate heavy caseloads in the courts. The bill requires the president to appoint judges at staggered intervals over the next decade, with the first batch of appointments taking place in 2025 and 2027.
Prior to the election, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the bill, saying it addressed the pressing need to reduce case backlogs in federal courts and strengthen the efficiency of the judicial system. “At that time, Democrats supported the bill – they thought Kamala Harris would win the Presidency,” Johnson said. “Now, however, the Biden-Harris Administration has chosen to issue a veto threat and Democrats have whipped against this bill, standing in the way of progress, simply because of partisan politics.”
Despite the bill’s original bipartisan support, key Democrats have now opposed it, citing concerns that the measure would allow President-elect Trump to appoint more federal judges. The White House released a statement earlier this week saying that President Biden would veto the bill if it came to his desk, citing concerns that the measure was “unnecessary” and would create new judgeships in states where vacancies already exist.
The bill passed the House with a vote of 236-173, with 29 Democrats voting in favor. The Senate passed the legislation in August, and Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., the bill’s Democratic co-sponsor, said he now opposes the measure.