McConnell: Bipartisan JUDGES Act Takes Commonsense Step Toward Swifter Justice
‘Soon, we expect the House to take up and pass the JUDGES Act with similar overwhelming support. And normally, we could rest assured that such popular action would be signed into law without further ado. But maybe not this time. Last week, the White House seemed to suggest, through anonymous comment, that President Biden had concerns with the bill… It’s hard to imagine a justification for blocking the JUDGES Act that doesn’t smack of naked partisanship.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the federal judiciary:
“On matters of the federal judiciary – its membership, its independence, and its ethics – I’ve often found myself at increasingly stark odds with many of my Democratic colleagues. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t intend to stop policing the separation of powers any sooner than the left stops trying to undermine it.
“But over the past year, one corner of the judiciary’s operation where the Senate rightly holds sway has become the site of rare bipartisan agreement – federal courts’ capacity to hear and decide cases in a timely manner.
“Across the country, federal district courts’ case backlogs are preventing them from rendering swift justice. This past spring, the judiciary’s own data recorded a one-year uptick in civil filings before district courts of 22 percent.
“The solution to this clear challenge – more district judgeships – has earned wide support. In April, the senior Senator from Indiana introduced legislation that would steadily apportion larger benches to districts across the country over the next decade.
“In August, the JUDGES Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent, proving that the right to a speedy trial still enjoys overwhelming popularity.
“I was particularly encouraged by the vocal endorsement of my friend, the Democratic Leader, who recognized the measure as a ’very responsible, bipartisan, and prudent bill’ that would lead to ‘a better functioning judiciary’.
“Soon, we expect the House to take up and pass the JUDGES Act with similar overwhelming support. And normally, we could rest assured that such popular action would be signed into law without further ado.
“But maybe not this time. Last week, the White House seemed to suggest, through anonymous comment, that President Biden had concerns with the bill.
“I, for one, would be curious to hear the President’s rationale. It’s hard to imagine a justification for blocking the JUDGES Act that doesn’t smack of naked partisanship.
“It’s almost inconceivable that a lame-duck President could consider vetoing such an obviously prudential step for any reason other than selfish spite.
“Litigants across America deserve their day in court. And they deserve to know the federal judiciary has the bandwidth to carefully and thoroughly consider their cases.
“The President, a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is well-equipped to appreciate this fact. And I hope he acts accordingly.”
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Related Issues: Judicial Nominations
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