in World News House Passes Bill That Gives Trump More Federal Judge Appointments, Despite Biden’s Veto Threat
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Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have passed a once-bipartisan bill that would allow President Donald Trump to appoint more federal judges.
The House passed the legislation on Thursday that authorizes 63 new permanent district judgeships over the next 10 years.
22 of those judgeships would be filled by Trump during his next term.
However, the White House released a statement earlier this week that lame-duck President Joe Biden would veto the bill if it came to his desk.
In August, the Senate passed the “Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act” or the “JUDGES Act of 2024.”
The bill staggers the 63 new permanent judgeships the president may choose over the next 10 years.
Citing how courts are burdened by heavy caseloads, the bill says the president shall appoint 11 of those permanent judgeships in 2025 and 11 more in 2027.
The president would tap another 10 judges in 2029, 11 in 2031, 10 in 2033, and 10 more in 2035, the bill says.
Now, however, key Democrats are backing away from the bill after Trump won the presidency.
Democrats are now decrying how the bill was not voted on until after Election Day.
“Today, the House passed the JUDGES Act to authorize additional federal judges to ensure the American people receive timely and fair justice,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a statement.
“This important legislation garnered broad, bipartisan support when it unanimously passed the Senate in August because it directly addresses the pressing need to reduce case backlogs in our federal courts and strengthen the efficiency of our judicial system.”
“At that time, Democrats supported the bill – they thought Kamala Harris would win the Presidency,” he added.