Amending Title United States Code, to Authorize Holding Court for the Central Division of Utah in Moab and Monticello

Floor Speech

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Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8666) to amend title 28, United States Code, to authorize holding court for the Central Division of Utah in Moab and Monticello.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8666

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. JUDICIAL DISTRICT.

Section 125 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and St. George'' and inserting ``St. George, Moab, and Monticello.''

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Mr. ISSA. 8666.

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Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, our Federal courts are critical to ensuring that Americans have access to justice. The Central Division of the District of Utah is currently authorized to hold court only in Salt Lake City, Provo, and St. George. For residents of southeastern Utah, however, traveling to those courthouses is burdensome and requires hours of driving, and it affects their ability to access the Federal court system.

H.R. 8666 addresses these issues at essentially no cost to the U.S. Government. The bill authorizes the Central Division of the District of Utah to hold court in Moab and Monticello in southeastern Utah, in addition to those other locations allowed by law.

In addition, this will be free of cost because the District of Utah already has agreements in place with State and county courthouses in those cities. Those facilities are being provided at no cost to the Federal Government because they are in the best interests of the people of Utah.

These changes, which have been requested by the District of Utah, are endorsed by the Judicial Conference of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In fact, it is also endorsed by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Public Defender's Office for the District of Utah.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge the passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Utah (Ms. Maloy).

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Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, in closing, this is yet another bill that says a great deal about the way Members of Congress know their districts. Members of Congress travel their districts. They understand the needs of it, so when a Congresswoman like Ms. Maloy comes to us, she comes knowing what she needs and has already done the homework, both in traveling and in working with the Judicial Conference.

This is yet another example where the right answer comes from the people closest to the people, the individual Representatives. The committee is proud and happy to support this commonsense change.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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