In spite of Democratic President Joe Biden's threats to veto the measure, the House of Representatives approved it on Thursday, adding 66 judges to the nation's understaffed federal courts.

It wasn't until Republican Donald Trump was elected president in November that lawmakers even considered the bill, as The Associated Press reported.

This year, the Senate enacted legislation that would significantly expand the federal courts for the first time since 1990. The Republican-led House voted 236–173 in support of this measure.

About the Bill

Increasing the number of trial court judges in 25 federal district courts in thirteen states, including California, Florida, and Texas, in six waves every two years until 2035, is the goal of the once-popular bipartisan measure.

The JUDGES Act has gained unusual support from hundreds of judges who have gone public in their support of it, citing a 30% rise in federal caseloads since the last time Congress passed legislation to significantly enlarge the court. In August, the law was passed by the Senate by a unanimous majority.

But it was before the presidential election results on November 5 were announced. House Democrats claim Republicans deliberately delayed the bill's approval so that Trump could be named to the first 25 judicial positions after he was elected.

The White House made notice of the delay on Tuesday, highlighting it as one of the reasons Biden intended to veto the bill upon its passage by the House.

From Both Sides

Even though the measure only received support from 29 House Democrats, a spokesman for the White House confirmed that Biden would veto it after the vote.

"This should not be a political issue - it should be about prioritizing the needs of the American people and ensuring the courts are able to deliver fair, impartial, and timely justice," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.

When asked about the legislation, U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad—who is also the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts—said that it "would improve access to justice in the federal courts and improve judicial administration."

While no one knew who would get to appoint the initial wave of judges, U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, claimed that House Republican leaders had broken a key promise by not tackling the measure before the election.

More Controversy

He stated that he could not support Trump's nomination of additional "ultra-conservative ideologues" to the bench and accused Republicans of engaging in "political games" with the law, which was supposed to have bipartisan support.

Predictions indicate that Trump will be able to nominate more than 100 judges during his four years in office. During his first term in office, he appointed 234 federal judges, three of whom now make up the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 panel.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the nominations of two final nominees from California for full Senate consideration on Thursday, bringing Biden's total to 233 (including one Supreme Court justice). Trump has surpassed this total.

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