Improving Access to Our Courts Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 227) 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: S. 227

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 ``Improving Access to Our Courts Act''. SEC. 2. 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. ISSA. 227.

Mr. Speaker, Americans depend on the Federal court system to protect their rights and obtain relief when their rights are violated. It is also where criminals are prosecuted, highlighting the importance of making our communities safer. That is why improving and ensuring accessibility to courts for our citizens is so important.

This important bill adds four words to the United States Code to save thousands of Americans in Texas and Washington from having to make long, burdensome trips just to reach the nearest Federal courthouse.

The bill authorizes Federal courts in the Western District of Texas and Western District of Washington to hold court in Alpine, Texas, and Mount Vernon, Washington, respectively.

Both Alpine and Mount Vernon already have existing facilities necessary to hold court, so the cost of the bill is little or nothing. By authorizing these districts to utilize their locations already built, we will reduce the administrative burdens on the court system and logistic burdens on which businesses count.

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 identified a similar hardship for Americans in the Western District of Washington. That is why I support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation and urge both sides of the aisle to do the same.

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Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague from New York in urging that this bipartisan bill be passed.

Mr. Speaker, I will close simply by saying it is seldom that people come before this body saying: I have something that will cost the government little or nothing but will save Americans a great deal.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support and yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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