[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7172-H7173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL JUDICIARY STABILIZATION ACT OF 2024
Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 3998) to provide for the permanent appointment of certain temporary
district judgeships.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 3998
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Judiciary
Stabilization Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. TEMPORARY JUDGESHIPS IN THE DISTRICT COURTS.
(a) Existing Judgeships.--The existing judgeships for the
district of Hawaii, the district of Kansas, and the eastern
district of Missouri authorized by section 203(c) of the
Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-650; 28
U.S.C. 133 note) and the existing judgeships for the northern
district of Alabama, the district of Arizona, the central
district of California, the southern district of Florida, the
district of New Mexico, the western district of North
Carolina, and the eastern district of Texas authorized by
section 312(c) of the 21st Century Department of Justice
Appropriations Authorization Act (Public Law 107-273; 28
U.S.C. 133 note) shall, as of the effective date of this Act,
be authorized under section 133 of title 28, United States
Code, and the incumbents in those offices shall hold the
office under section 133 of title 28, United States Code, as
amended by this Act.
(b) Tables.--In order that the table contained in section
133 of title 28, United States Code, will, with respect to
each judicial district, reflect the changes in the total
number of permanent district judgeships authorized as a
result of subsection (a) of this section, such table is
amended--
(1) by striking the items relating to Alabama and inserting
the following:
``Alabama:
Northern.................................................... 8
Middle...................................................... 3
Southern.................................................... 3'';
(2) by striking the item relating to Arizona and inserting
the following:
``Arizona................................................... 13'';
(3) by striking the items relating to California and
inserting the following:
``California:
Northern.................................................... 14
Eastern..................................................... 6
Central..................................................... 28
Southern.................................................... 13'';
(4) by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting
the following:
``Florida:
Northern.................................................... 4
Middle...................................................... 15
Southern.................................................... 18'';
(5) by striking the item relating to Hawaii and inserting
the following:
``Hawaii.................................................... 4'';
(6) by striking the item relating to Kansas and inserting
the following:
``Kansas.................................................... 6'';
(7) by striking the items relating to Missouri and
inserting the following:
``Missouri:
Eastern..................................................... 7
Western..................................................... 5
Eastern and Western......................................... 2'';
(8) by striking the item relating to New Mexico and
inserting the following:
``New Mexico................................................ 7'';
(9) by striking the items relating to North Carolina and
inserting the following:
``North Carolina:
Eastern..................................................... 4
Middle...................................................... 4
Western..................................................... 5''; and
(10) by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting
the following:
``Texas:
Northern.................................................... 12
Southern.................................................... 19
Eastern..................................................... 8
Western..................................................... 13''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by
this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Fry) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms.
Scanlon) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material on S. 3998.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this Congress has already taken the most important step
to stabilizing our overworked Federal courts.
Last week, the House joined the Senate in decisively passing the
JUDGES Act of 2024. Dozens of Democrats joined Republicans to finally
add much-needed judgeships for the first time in 20 years. We urge the
President to set aside partisan politics and sign the bill into law.
The bill before us today, S. 3998, is another piece of critical
legislation aimed at relieving the backlog of our Federal courts. The
Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act of 2024 further aids the Federal
judiciary by converting 10 temporary judgeships into permanent ones.
Importantly, this bill does not create any new vacancies. Instead,
this bill ensures that districts don't lose a judgeship if a judge
retires or takes senior status after a temporary judgeship expires in
the future.
This bill makes permanent judgeships in Alabama, Arizona, California,
Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and
Texas. Passing this bill will provide stability
[[Page H7173]]
to the regions of those States that have come to rely on these
temporary judgeships since their creation, in some cases more than 30
years ago.
This bill takes into account the recommendations of the Judicial
Conference of the United States, and it is sorely needed.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to support this bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3998, the Federal
Judiciary Stabilization Act of 2024, a bill to convert 10 temporary
Federal judgeships to permanent seats.
Our country is facing a serious judicial shortage and has for some
time. The last bill creating Federal district court judgeships was
passed into law over 30 years ago.
Since that time, the Federal caseload has ballooned, and it has
become increasingly difficult to ensure that Americans are able to have
their day in court. This need spurred Republicans and Democrats to seek
passage of the JUDGES Act earlier this year before the November
election.
That bill was predicated on an agreement to give 25 judicial
appointments to the unknown at that time next President. I was
disappointed that Republican leadership held the bill until after the
election in order to ensure that their candidate controlled the
appointments.
It was very disappointing to have politics introduced on what should
have been a bipartisan bill. We can't go back in time and pass the
JUDGES Act before the election, but we can pass this legislation on a
bipartisan basis to prevent the loss of 10 Federal judgeships when the
current temporary judgeships expire.
Temporary judgeships are designed to help district courts reduce
unusually large backlogs. Short-term judgeships look very similar to
permanent ones. They are created by Congress, and the judges are
appointed by the President to a lifetime judgeship.
However, after a temporary judgeship expires, the next person to
retire or otherwise leave the bench in that judicial district is simply
not replaced. That is exactly what will happen if these 10 temporary
judgeships are allowed to lapse.
When a judge retires, no new nominees will be sent to Congress. Those
judicial districts will lose judgeships on which they have relied for
at least two decades, and Americans living in those districts will have
trouble accessing justice.
We may call these judgeships temporary, but it is clear they are
needed on a permanent basis. The 10 at issue today on S. 3998 have been
reauthorized again and again. Since they were first authorized over 20
years ago, our Nation has grown, and with it, the demands on our
Federal judicial system have grown too.
Making these 10 temporary judgeships permanent will ensure that
people living and working in those communities have a Federal court
system that is more responsive to their needs.
The Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act is a product of bipartisan,
bicameral work. I thank my colleagues in both Chambers, Senators Mazie
Hirono and Ted Cruz along with Representatives Ted Lieu and Lance
Gooden for their hard work on this bill.
The Senate passed this bill in April, so if the House passes it
today, it will go directly to the President's desk. I am proud to
support this bill. I urge all of my colleagues to do the same
Mr. Speaker, this legislation will strengthen the rule of law and
access to justice, and provide stability to our judiciary by ensuring
the number of Federal judges doesn't decrease when these temporary
judgeships expire.
Each of these judicial districts has relied on these temporary
judgeships for decades, and it is long past time that we make them
permanent. This bill is a small, but meaningful step toward making our
courthouse doors accessible to all Americans, regardless of where they
live. I hope we can replicate this bipartisan work in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this bill, and send it to
the President's desk, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I echo the comments of my colleague from across
the aisle, and I urge my colleagues in the House to support this
bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation, S. 3998, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Fry) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 3998.
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. FRY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________