President Biden Vetoed Bill to Add 66 Federal District Judgeships
President Joe Biden on Monday vetoed a bill that would have added 66 federal district judgeships over a span of more than a decade. The legislation, once a bipartisan effort, aimed to prevent either party from having an advantage in appointing judges. However, Biden cited concerns about the “hurried action” by the House of Representatives and the lack of consideration for senior status judges and magistrate judges in his decision.
Biden said the bill left open questions about how the new judgeships would be allocated and did not adequately address the impact of senior status judges and magistrate judges on the need for new judgeships. He also accused lawmakers of prioritizing political interests over the administration of justice, noting that senators had not filled existing judicial vacancies in some states.
The veto was met with criticism from Republican lawmakers, with Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., describing it as a “last spasm of a lame-duck” and claiming that Biden did not want to allow the legislation to become law because a Republican administration would appoint some of the judges.