US House passes bill to expand federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
What was once a bipartisan effort to expand by 66 the number of federal district judgeships across the country passed the House of Representatives on Thursday, though prospects for becoming law are murky after Republicans opted to bring the measure to the floor only after President-elect Donald Trump had won a second term.
The bill, which would increase funding for judicial vacancies and provide additional resources to help recruit new judges, was approved by a vote of 235-180. However, with Democrats holding just one seat in the House GOP majority, it is unlikely that the measure will survive a potential veto from President-elect Trump or even make it out of committee.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has insisted on punting the annual spending bills into March of next year, which could further complicate efforts to pass legislation before Trump takes office Jan. 20. GOP lawmakers are framing the IRS’s free direct tax-filing system as an example of the “weaponization of government against Americans.”
The House passed a bill to add 66 new federal judgeships across the country in November but it stalled after Democrats blocked its passage, citing concerns about increasing court caseloads and costs.
Republicans fear that chaos could rain on President-elect Trump’s agenda and are pushing to finish up work on the overdue annual appropriations bills before he takes office.