Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) commended the passage of the bipartisan Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024, a bill that attempts to address federal district judge shortages, especially for judicial emergencies in the “most overworked regions of the country.” The legislation passed in the Senate and will head to the House of Representatives.
With nearly 700,000 pending cases in federal district courts in March of 2023, the JUDGES Act would create 66 new district court judgeships – including 13 in Texas (in all four judicial districts) – over the next 12 years. It will also allow federal judges to hear cases in the College Station area.
Sen. Cruz urged his colleagues in the lower chamber to pass the bill and send it to President Joe Biden’s (D) desk, saying that Congress has “failed” to authorize judgeships in the past, causing this crisis.
“Congress has failed in its responsibility to authorize sufficient judgeships and resources for the judicial branch, particularly in America’s fastest-growing communities like Texas,” said Sen. Cruz. “As a result, federal judges in Texas have been disproportionately burdened with crushing caseloads and excessive backlogs, hindering the efficiency and effectiveness of our judicial system. It’s our constitutional duty to ensure that these judicial shortages no longer restrict any American’s access to justice. I am proud that my colleagues in the Senate have unanimously recognized the severity of these consequences, and I urge my colleagues in the House to do the same by passing this legislation.”
The bill was originally sponsored by Senator Todd Young (R-IN). It holds 17 co-sponsors (alongside Sen. Cruz) including Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT.), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jon Ossoff (D-GA.), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Laphonza Butler (D-CA).
The JUDGES Act was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent. It was received in the House of Representatives on Tuesday and has been held at the desk since.
