Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I vote in favor of S. 4199, the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024, to allow for the creation of additional judgeships in under resourced district courts across the country. However, this is not the version of the bill I would have preferred due to the temporary nature of the additional judgeships slated for the State of Oklahoma. As the only state to receive additional temporary judgeships in this legislation, I believe this not only ignores the ongoing need for more longstanding, dependable resources across the state but also jeopardizes the longevity of these essential positions and creates uncertainty in the judicial system. Temporary judgeships will not satisfy the long-term need for judicial resources following the permanent jurisdictional shifts in criminal and civil proceedings in the state and subsequent backlog of cases pending in the justice system. Any new judgeships should be made permanent to reflect the drastic expansion of federal jurisdiction and to enact swift justice on behalf of the people of Oklahoma.

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