President Joe Biden has vetoed a bipartisan effort to add 66 federal district judgeships, citing concerns about the rushed nature of the legislation. The bill aimed to establish new trial court judgeships over a period of more than a decade to ensure a fair distribution of appointments across multiple administrations and Congresses.
The Senate passed the measure unanimously, but the House faced criticism for bringing it to the floor after the reelection of former President Donald Trump, leading to accusations of political maneuvering. The White House had previously indicated Biden's intention to veto the bill.
In his statement, President Biden highlighted unresolved questions about the allocation of new judgeships and the impact of senior status judges and magistrate judges on the need for additional positions. He emphasized the importance of thoroughly studying these issues before creating permanent judgeships for life-tenured judges.
Biden expressed skepticism about the motivations behind the bill, suggesting that concerns about judicial economy and caseload may not have been the primary drivers of the legislation. As a result, he vetoed the bill, effectively halting its progress in the current Congress.
Advocates for the legislation, including organizations representing judges and attorneys, had argued that the lack of new federal judgeships was contributing to significant delays in case resolution and raising concerns about access to justice.
Senator Todd Young criticized the veto as a 'misguided decision' and accused Biden of prioritizing personal matters over the needs of ordinary Americans awaiting justice. Young referenced a recent pardon granted by Biden to his son Hunter on federal charges, suggesting a disparity in the President's approach to justice.
The vetoed legislation now faces significant hurdles to overturning, requiring a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, a threshold that was not met in the House vote following Biden's veto.
