President Joe Biden's decision to veto a bill that would have created 66 new federal judgeships across 13 states has sparked sharp criticism, The Hill reported.
Biden on Monday followed through on his promise to veto the JUDGES Act, a bill designed to address the growing backlog in federal courts. The veto has drawn criticism from federal judiciary leaders, bipartisan lawmakers, and judicial advocacy groups, who argue that the legislation was crucial for ensuring timely access to justice.
Initially passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill proposed a phased creation of new federal judgeships through 2035. It stalled after the presidential election, with Republican lawmakers delaying its passage. President-elect Donald Trump's victory further complicated its prospects, as the bill would have allowed him to nominate judges for nearly two dozen new positions during his term.
"Caseload is not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now," Biden said, criticizing the House's rushed consideration of the legislation, which he argued left "key questions unresolved."
"The additional judgeships are necessary for the efficient and effective administration of justice," said Judge Robert Conrad, director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
Conrad said the legislation was based on careful analysis of weighted caseloads, senior judge contributions, and other factors, and called the veto a departure from the tradition of approving judgeship bills.
The bill stemmed from recommendations by the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's policymaking body. The conference said new judgeships are urgently needed, citing a 346% increase in pending federal civil cases over the past two decades. As of March, approximately 82,000 case remained unresolved.
Despite unanimous passage in the Democrat-controlled Senate in August, the Republican-led House took up the bill only after the election. It passed 236-173, with most House Democrats opposing it, and Biden saying he intended to veto it.
Judicial advocates, including the Federal Judges Association, pressed the president to reconsider. Michelle Childs, a Biden-appointed federal appeals court judge and chair of the association, was among those urging him to sign the bill.
Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, a judicial watchdog group, criticized Biden's decision, saying, "President Biden's veto of the JUDGES Act is an embarrassing end to what has otherwise been a productive four years of reshaping the judiciary."
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., one of the bill's key sponsors, called the veto "partisan politics at its worst." He accused Biden of prioritizing personal matters, referencing the president's pardon of his son Hunter Biden, over the needs of Americans awaiting judicial relief.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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