President Joe Biden vetoed legislation that would have added 66 new judges to federal courts, marking the first major expansion of the federal judiciary since 1990. The JUDGES Act aimed to increase the number of trial court judges in 25 federal district courts in 13 states over several years. Despite initial bipartisan support, the bill faced pushback from President Biden, who cited the need for further study on the allocation of judgeships.
The outgoing Democratic president’s veto came after issuing a veto threat before the bill passed the Republican-led House of Representatives in December. Biden expressed concerns about creating permanent judgeships for life-tenured judges without a comprehensive understanding of the need for these positions. The bill received unanimous approval in the Democratic-led Senate in August but faced delays in the Republican-led House.
The bill’s sponsors had hoped to avoid opposition by staggering the new judgeships over several presidential administrations. However, concerns arose when Donald Trump’s victory in the election meant he would appoint the first batch of 25 judges. Top House Democrats accused their Republican colleagues of breaking a central promise of the legislation, leading to its eventual rejection.
Biden also raised concerns about the bill adding judgeships in states where senators sought to hold existing vacancies open, suggesting that claims of excessive caseloads were not the true motivation behind the bill.Supporters of the legislation, including many judges appointed by presidents of both parties, noted the significant increase in federal caseloads since the last comprehensive judiciary expansion.
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