Biden vetoes bill that would have given Trump more judicial seats to fill
President Biden recently made the decision to veto a bill that aimed to add 66 federal district judgeships over a period of more than ten years. This bipartisan effort was intended to prevent either political party from gaining an advantage in shaping the federal judiciary. The bill had the support of organizations representing judges and attorneys, who argued that additional judgeships would help alleviate delays in resolving cases and improve access to justice.
Despite these arguments, the White House announced that President Biden would veto the bill. In a statement, Biden cited concerns about the “hurried action” taken by the House of Representatives, which left key questions unanswered regarding the allocation of new judgeships. He emphasized the need for further study on how the work of senior status judges and magistrate judges would impact the necessity for additional judgeships before creating permanent positions for life-tenured judges.
The bill also included provisions for creating new judgeships in states where existing judicial vacancies have not been filled by senators, leading to speculation that political motivations may have influenced the legislation. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana criticized the veto, suggesting that the decision was driven by a desire to prevent a Republican administration from appointing judges.
The legislation, which was unanimously passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate in August, faced opposition in the Republican-led House. President Biden’s veto effectively puts the bill on hold for the current Congress. Overturning the veto would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, a threshold that was not met in the House vote.
The decision to veto the bill has sparked debate and criticism from various quarters, with some questioning the motivations behind the move. The fate of the legislation remains uncertain, as lawmakers grapple with the implications of President Biden’s decision.
