[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7930-H7931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMENDING TITLE 28, UNITED STATES CODE, PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL PLACE
FOR HOLDING COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 3034) to amend title 28, United States Code, to provide
an additional place for holding court for the Western District of
Washington, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3034
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL PLACE FOR HOLDING COURT FOR THE WESTERN
DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON.
Section 128(b) of title 28, United States Code, is amended
by inserting ``Mount Vernon,'' after ``Tacoma,''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Fitzgerald) 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 H.R. 3034.
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.
[[Page H7931]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3034 which would amend title
28 of the U.S. Code to provide an additional place for holding court in
the Western District of Washington.
This one-sentence bill would allow the residents of that district
which is comprised of half of Washington State from the Cascade
Mountains to the Pacific Ocean to attend Federal Court in Mount Vernon,
Washington, halfway between Seattle and the Canadian border.
Currently, residents of the surrounding counties, including the third
most populous county in the State, have to travel significant distances
to access the Federal justice system leading to increased travel time
and administrative costs. Adding Mount Vernon as an additional court
location would alleviate those burdens. It would also be a cost-free
change because there is an existing facility available for the court to
use, and no court personnel would be permanently stationed there.
Making use of this existing facility would ensure that litigants,
attorneys, witnesses, and other court users would have greater access
to the justice that our Federal courts provide.
Mr. Speaker, the Judiciary Committee is the holder, protector, and
nurturer of the Constitution. There is probably nothing as important
among other elements but for the right to a trial by jury or right to
be heard as a litigant in a court. This important legislation is
suggesting that those who may have difficulty or are even deprived
because of distance or other issues dealing with the far reaches of
where this court is away from them can now have unfettered access to
court in their region, in their area.
This move will benefit the many individuals who live, work, and do
business in northwest Washington which is very far from the present
site of the Federal Court. This legislation is broadly supported by the
judges, attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders, and law enforcement
in the Western District of Washington.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Suzan DelBene and Rick Larsen for
calling attention to this issue and for introducing this legislation to
improve the lives of the residents of Washington State. Chairman Nadler
and all of the members of the Judiciary Committee were very pleased to
work with this legislation, and Congresswoman DelBene and Congressman
Larsen to be able to make this fix to provide an additional pathway of
justice and the protection of the constitutional rights of individuals
to have their access to courts and to trials by jury.
At this point, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. Speaker, it appears that this bill has wide,
bipartisan support among Members of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to
support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, it is good music and good sounds to hear my colleague
indicating that this legislation has widespread support, and he is
absolutely right.
The only point that I would want to emphasize is that whenever this
body and this Judiciary Committee can expand the rights to the
protection of Americans and their rights to access justice, we should
stand tall.
Today, this legislation, with a small fix of providing an additional
site for the people of western Washington to access their
constitutional, judicial, and legal rights, I think this is a
celebration. So because of the broad support for this, we are
delighted.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 3034, and make known that it is a
straightforward bill that will improve the administration of justice in
Washington State and will reinforce our duty and responsibility to the
American people for justice.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3034, which would amend title
28 of the U.S. Code to provide an additional place for holding court in
the Western District of Washington.
This one-sentence bill would allow residents of that district, which
comprises half of Washington state--from the Cascade Mountains to the
Pacific Ocean--to attend federal court in Mount Vernon, Washington,
halfway between Seattle and the Canadian border.
Currently, residents of the surrounding counties, including the third
most-populous county in the state, have to travel significant distances
to access the federal justice system, leading to increased travel time
and administrative costs. Adding Mount Vernon as an additional court
location would alleviate those burdens. It would also be a cost-free
change because there is an existing facility available for the court to
use, and no court personnel would be permanently stationed there.
Making use of this existing facility would ensure that litigants,
attorneys, witnesses, and other court users would have greater access
to the justice that our federal courts provide.
This move will benefit the many individuals who live, work, and do
business in Northwest Washington, and this legislation is broadly
supported by the judges, attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders, and
law enforcement in the Western District of Washington.
I thank Representatives Suzan DelBene and Rick Larsen for calling
attention to this issue and for introducing this legislation to improve
the lives of the residents of Washington state.
I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3034 is a straightforward bill that will improve
the administration of justice in Washington State. I urge my colleagues
to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and 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, H.R. 3034.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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