Biden plans veto of bill adding new judges after Trump victory
By
Kaelan Deese
December 10, 2024 5:37 pm
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President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to veto a bipartisan bill that would add 66 federal judgeships, citing concerns over the timing of and motivations for the legislation following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.
The bill, known as the JUDGES Act, which passed the Senate unanimously in August, is meant to address a judicial backlog by gradually increasing the number of judges over the next decade. But “concerns about judicial economy and caseload are not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now,” the White House wrote in a statement.
“The bill would create new judgeships in states where Senators have sought to hold open existing judicial vacancies,” the White House statement furthered, adding the “House refused to take it up until after the election.”
The House is set to vote on the measure this week, but the president’s strong rebuke of the bill could mark the beginning of the end for the legislation that previously garnered broad bipartisan support.
Democrats, who initially supported the bill, are now withdrawing their backing. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) criticized Republicans for waiting until after the election, stating, “Donald Trump has made clear he intends to expand presidential power, and this bill hands him another tool to do so.”
Nadler argued that the bill’s staggered implementation, designed to be fair across three administrations, was undermined by GOP tactics.
House Republicans, however, defended their support of the bill.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3256655/biden-plans-veto-of-bill-adding-new-judges-after-trump-victory/
