Congressional records and official legal publications

House Passes Bill for 66 New Judgeships, Biden Threatens Veto

Dec 12, 2024, 11:10 PM

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024 with bipartisan support, aiming to expand the federal judiciary by adding 66 new district court judgeships nationwide. The legislation, which was initially supported by both parties, faced opposition from President Joe Biden, who has threatened to veto the bill, arguing that the additional judgeships are unnecessary. The bill, which passed the Senate unanimously before the election, would see the judgeships added incrementally over a decade, with the first wave scheduled for 2025. Despite the bipartisan support, the vote in the House was 236-173, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a potential veto. The Judicial Conference of the United States and the Federal Bar Association have endorsed the bill, highlighting the need to address the increasing judicial caseload and reduce delays in the court system.