Additional Places for Holding Court
Floor Speech
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 786) to amend title 28, United States Code, to provide an additional place for holding court for the Pecos Division of the Western District of Texas, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 786
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL PLACES FOR HOLDING COURT.
(a) Pecos Division of the Western District of Texas.-- Section 124(d)(6) of title 28, United States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (7), by inserting ``and Alpine'' after ``Pecos''.
(b) Western District of Washington.--Section 128(b) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``Mount Vernon,'' after ``Tacoma,''.
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Mr. CLINE. 786.
Mr. Speaker, our courts and judicial system are the envy of the world.
Americans rely on the Federal courts every day to protect their rights and obtain relief when those rights are violated.
They also are the means by which we adjudicate claims that someone has violated our criminal laws.
That is why improving and ensuring accessibility to the courts for our citizens is so important.
This important bill adds just four words to the United States Code to save thousands of Americans in Texas and Washington lengthy and burdensome trips just to reach the nearest Federal courthouse.
This bill authorizes the Federal courts in the Western District of Texas and the Western District of Washington to hold court in Alpine, Texas, and Mount Vernon, Washington, respectively.
Both locations already have existing facilities necessary to hold court, so the cost of this bill is minimal.
By authorizing these courts to utilize these locations, Congress will reduce administrative burdens on the court system and logistical burdens on those with business before these courts.
For example, the Judicial Conference of the United States has noted that Americans in the Western District of Texas must drive as far as 100 miles to reach the courthouse in Pecos, Texas.
The Judicial Conference has identified similar hardships for Americans in the Western District of Washington.
Mr. Speaker, I support this commonsense, bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same.
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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