Staff ReportsA bold move has taken place in the House, as lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill that aims to create an additional 66 federal judgeships across several states. While this would seem to be good news for the judicial system, President Joe Biden is already threatening a veto, proving once again that he prefers to stall progress on just about anything that resembles an effort to give President Trump some much-needed judicial firepower.
The JUDGES Act is designed to address the heavy caseload in busy jurisdictions like California and Texas, where waiting times for justice are laughable—if it weren’t so serious. The bill gained support from 29 Democrats, marking a rare moment of sanity in an otherwise chaotic legislative environment dominated by party line voting. Apparently, the notion of overdue justice can still unite both sides, at least temporarily.
Biden’s opposition comes on the heels of this legislation sailing through the Democratic-controlled Senate just a couple of months ago. He appears to be making this all about the timing and intent behind the bill, claiming that it is simply a ploy by Republicans to bolster Trump’s power as he prepares to reclaim the White House. Meanwhile, the irony of this is palpable; Democrats who once championed the JUDGES Act are now having second thoughts. Rep. Jerry Nadler, in a dramatic flip-flop, has accused Republicans of plotting behind the scenes to hand Trump a potent tool for expanding presidential power.
House passes bipartisan JUDGES Act despite Biden veto threat https://t.co/xaRkRVfpQO
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 12, 2024
Yet, it is hard to swallow the Democrats’ complaints when Republicans frame the bill as a necessary step in tackling a backlog of nearly 750,000 pending federal court cases. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson pointed out that many of these judgeships would be filled in states represented by Democratic senators—how poetic. It appears that bipartisan support wasn’t just a figment of conservative imagination after all, but rather the stark reality that sometimes even the left can momentarily wrestle with the idea of efficiency in government.
Should the JUDGES Act find its way past Biden’s veto, it could potentially bestow Trump with 11 extra judgeship slots in 2025 and another 11 in 2027. This would certainly bolster his previous success—234 federal judges confirmed during his first term—while Biden, on the verge of panic, has just one less than that figure at 233. Should Biden go through with the veto, a two-thirds majority to override it would be no small feat. Nevertheless, lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy remain optimistic, believing they can reintroduce the bill next year when the GOP regains control. After all, good governance doesn’t just happen by sitting around twiddling thumbs; it sometimes needs a good kick in the form of a Trump presidency.
