[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 22, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2983-H2984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REDEFINING EASTERN AND MIDDLE JUDICIAL DISTRICTS OF NORTH CAROLINA

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (S. 1340) to amend title 28, United States Code, to redefine 
the eastern and middle judicial districts of North Carolina.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1340

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. JUDICIAL DISTRICTS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

       (a) In General.--Section 113 of title 28, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``and Wilson and'' and 
     inserting ``Wilson, those portions of Hoke, Moore, Scotland, 
     and Richmond counties encompassing the Fort Bragg Military 
     Reservation and Camp Mackall, and''; and
       (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Middle District.--The Middle District comprises the 
     counties of Alamance, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, 
     Davie, Durham (excluding that portion of Durham County 
     encompassing the Federal Correctional Institution, Butner, 
     North Carolina), Forsyth, Guilford, Hoke (excluding that 
     portion of Hoke County encompassing the Fort Bragg Military 
     Reservation and Camp Mackall), Lee, Montgomery, Moore 
     (excluding that portion of Moore County encompassing the Fort 
     Bragg Military Reservation and Camp Mackall), Orange, Person, 
     Randolph, Richmond (excluding that portion of Richmond County 
     encompassing the Fort Bragg Military Reservation and Camp 
     Mackall), Rockingham, Rowan, Scotland (excluding that portion 
     of Scotland County encompassing the Fort Bragg Military 
     Reservation and Camp Mackall), Stanly, Stokes, Surry, and 
     Yadkin.''.
       (b) Application.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall not apply to any action commenced or pending in any 
     judicial district of North Carolina before the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Bishop) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on S. 1340.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 would redefine the boundaries of the middle and 
eastern districts of North Carolina to place Fort Bragg and Camp 
Mackall, a sub-installation of Fort Bragg located roughly 40 miles 
away, entirely within the eastern district, a very smart and 
instructive decision.

[[Page H2984]]

  After having been introduced by both Senators from North Carolina, S. 
1340 passed the Senate last week. H.R. 2746, the identical House 
companion to S. 1340, which recently passed the Judiciary Committee, 
was introduced by a friend and colleague, Congresswoman Ross, and 
Congressman Hudson and was cosponsored by every member of the North 
Carolina House delegation.
  This is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will improve the 
administration of justice in North Carolina.
  Currently, even though Fort Bragg sits on the outskirts of 
Fayetteville, which is in the eastern district, the base straddles both 
judicial districts. The result of this split means that a Federal case 
arising on one part of Fort Bragg will be heard at the Fayetteville 
courthouse, which is roughly 20 minutes away, while a case arising on 
another part of the base could be heard at courthouses more than 2 
hours away.
  The logistical difficulties resulting from Fort Bragg's split 
jurisdiction can extend beyond the inconvenience of unnecessarily long 
travel times. In criminal cases, for example, courts have had 
difficulty ensuring that defendants have received notice of their 
rights. S. 1340 will fix that and fix it now.
  I want to thank Ms. Ross for her bipartisan work on this issue and 
for her enormous leadership in championing this legislation in the 
House.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill. I urge my colleagues 
to support it as well, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 will improve judicial economy by redefining the 
judicial districts of my home State of North Carolina.
  Fort Bragg, which is located in North Carolina, is one of the U.S. 
Army's largest military installations. It spans six counties and is 
approximately 250 square miles large. Fort Bragg is located in two 
judicial districts, the middle district and the eastern district of 
North Carolina. This has led to inconvenience for both defendants and 
the courts system.
  S. 1340 redefines the judicial districts so that Fort Bragg and a 
sub-installation, Camp Mackall, are located in a single judicial 
district, the eastern district. This change will streamline and improve 
judicial administration and efficiency.
  I want to thank Senator Tillis and Senator Burr for their work on 
this bill. I also want to thank the former member from North Carolina, 
Mr. Holding. And I also want to thank my law school classmate, 
Representative Ross, for sponsoring and the rest of the North Carolina 
delegation for joining me in cosponsoring the House companion, H.R. 
2746.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), who is the House sponsor of this very 
important legislation.
  Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today also to highlight this critical 
bill that will help North Carolinians.
  This commonsense legislation will revise North Carolina's judicial 
district lines to place Fort Bragg, one of the largest military 
installations in the world, entirely within the eastern district. 
Currently, the district lines bisect the base, resulting in unnecessary 
administrative and logistical problems for the people of our State.
  This legislation will ease the burden of traveling miles to Durham, 
Greensboro, or Winston-Salem and, instead, let servicemembers resolve 
court matters in nearby Fayetteville or Raleigh. A similar 
redistricting occurred several years ago when Congress moved Butner 
into the eastern district.
  This bipartisan piece of legislation will benefit our servicemembers 
and their families.
  I am honored to work with my North Carolina colleagues, Congressman 
Hudson, Senator Tillis, and Senator Burr, my colleague from law school 
class, and the entire delegation to get this bill across the finish 
line. I am pleased it passed out of the Senate, and I look forward to 
passing it in the House and having it signed into law by the President.
  Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this is sensible and 
prudent to the administration of justice in my home State.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this is a good day on the floor of the 
House. S. 1340 will improve the administration of justice in the 
Federal courts of North Carolina.
  This is not only a bipartisan, bicameral effort, but it is also 
evidence of Republicans and Democrats working together for the 
uplifting of justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership of Representative Ross in 
bringing this bill forward, and I hope all of my colleagues will 
enthusiastically support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 would redefine the boundaries of the Middle and 
Eastern Districts of North Carolina to place Fort Bragg and Camp 
Mackall (a sub-installation of Fort Bragg located roughly 40 miles 
away) entirely within the Eastern District.
  After having been introduced by both Senators from North Carolina, S. 
1340 passed the Senate last week. H.R. 2746, the identical House 
companion to S. 1340, which recently passed the Judiciary Committee, 
was introduced by Congresswoman Ross and Congressman Hudson and was 
cosponsored by every member of the North Carolina House Delegation.
  This is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will improve the 
administration of justice in North Carolina.
  Currently, even though Fort Bragg sits on the outskirts of 
Fayetteville, which is in the Eastern District, the base straddles both 
judicial districts.
  The result of this split means that a federal case arising on one 
part of Fort Bragg will be heard at the Fayetteville courthouse, which 
is roughly 20 minutes away, while a case arising on another part of the 
base could be heard at courthouses more than two hours away. The 
logistical difficulties resulting from Fort Bragg's split jurisdiction 
can extend beyond the inconvenience of unnecessarily long travel 
times--in criminal cases, for example, courts have had difficulty 
ensuring that defendants have received notice of their rights. S. 1340 
will fix that.
  I want to thank Ms. Ross for her bipartisan work on this issue, and 
for championing this legislation in the House. I am pleased to support 
this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 will improve the administration of justice in 
the federal courts in North Carolina.
  I appreciate the leadership of Representative Ross in bringing this 
bill forward, and I hope all my colleagues will support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 1340.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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