Biden vetoes bill that would have added 66 new federal judges over the next decade
In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Capitol Hill lawmakers passed a bill this year aimed at addressing the caseload of understaffed federal courts.
Yet in a move that left many observers furious, President Joe Biden opted to kill the legislation this week with a veto.
Bill would have added 66 federal judges
According to The Hill, the legislation was known as the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act.
It sought to put an additional 66 judges on the federal bench in 13 states over the next decade, with the appointments coming in two-year waves.
In a statement put out on Monday, Biden alleged that reducing caseload weight was not "the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now."
"S. 4199 seeks to hastily add judgeships with just a few weeks left in the 118th Congress. The House of Representatives' hurried action fails to resolve key questions in the legislation," he added.
Judge says veto is "extremely disappointing"
Although the Senate passed the JUDGES Act in August, it was met with opposition from Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Opponents noted how it would permit President-elect Donald Trump to nominate two dozen new judges over the course of his term in office.
Judge Robert Conrad serves as director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, and described the president's veto as "extremely disappointing."
He denied that the bill had been "hastily put together" and insisted that more judges are "necessary for the efficient and effective administration of justice."
Senator calls veto "partisan politics at its worst"
Conrad argued that the legislation was "the product of careful and detailed analysis which considers primarily the weighted caseload per active judge in each judicial district, while also factoring in the contribution of senior judges, magistrate judges and visiting judges."
The JUDGES Act was sponsored by Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young, who called Biden's decision to veto it "partisan politics at its worst."
The President is more enthusiastic about using his office to provide relief to his family members who received due process than he is about giving relief to the millions of regular Americans who are waiting years for their due process.
— Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) December 24, 2024
"The President is more enthusiastic about using his office to provide relief to his family members who received due process than he is about giving relief to the millions of regular Americans who are waiting years for their due process," Young complained.
