Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act of 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3998) to provide for the permanent appointment of certain temporary district judgeships.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3998
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 ``Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act of 2024''. SEC. 2. TEMPORARY JUDGESHIPS IN THE DISTRICT COURTS.
(a) Existing Judgeships.--The existing judgeships for the district of Hawaii, the district of Kansas, and the eastern district of Missouri authorized by section 203(c) of the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-650; 28 U.S.C. 133 note) and the existing judgeships for the northern district of Alabama, the district of Arizona, the central district of California, the southern district of Florida, the district of New Mexico, the western district of North Carolina, and the eastern district of Texas authorized by section 312(c) of the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act (Public Law 107-273; 28 U.S.C. 133 note) shall, as of the effective date of this Act, be authorized under section 133 of title 28, United States Code, and the incumbents in those offices shall hold the office under section 133 of title 28, United States Code, as amended by this Act.
(b) Tables.--In order that the table contained in section 133 of title 28, United States Code, will, with respect to each judicial district, reflect the changes in the total number of permanent district judgeships authorized as a result of subsection (a) of this section, such table is amended--
(1) by striking the items relating to Alabama and inserting the following:
``Alabama:
Northern.................................................... 8
Middle...................................................... 3
Southern.................................................... 3'';
(2) by striking the item relating to Arizona and inserting the following:
``Arizona................................................... 13'';
(3) by striking the items relating to California and inserting the following:
``California:
Northern.................................................... 14
Eastern..................................................... 6
Central..................................................... 28
Southern.................................................... 13'';
(4) by striking the items relating to Florida and inserting the following:
``Florida:
Northern.................................................... 4
Middle...................................................... 15
Southern.................................................... 18'';
(5) by striking the item relating to Hawaii and inserting the following:
``Hawaii.................................................... 4'';
(6) by striking the item relating to Kansas and inserting the following:
``Kansas.................................................... 6'';
(7) by striking the items relating to Missouri and inserting the following:
``Missouri:
Eastern..................................................... 7
Western..................................................... 5
Eastern and Western......................................... 2'';
(8) by striking the item relating to New Mexico and inserting the following:
``New Mexico................................................ 7'';
(9) by striking the items relating to North Carolina and inserting the following:
``North Carolina:
Eastern..................................................... 4
Middle...................................................... 4
Western..................................................... 5''; and
(10) by striking the items relating to Texas and inserting the following:
``Texas:
Northern.................................................... 12
Southern.................................................... 19
Eastern..................................................... 8
Western..................................................... 13''. SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
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Mr. FRY. 3998.
Mr. Speaker, this Congress has already taken the most important step to stabilizing our overworked Federal courts.
Last week, the House joined the Senate in decisively passing the JUDGES Act of 2024. Dozens of Democrats joined Republicans to finally add much-needed judgeships for the first time in 20 years. We urge the President to set aside partisan politics and sign the bill into law.
The bill before us today, S. 3998, is another piece of critical legislation aimed at relieving the backlog of our Federal courts. The Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act of 2024 further aids the Federal judiciary by converting 10 temporary judgeships into permanent ones.
Importantly, this bill does not create any new vacancies. Instead, this bill ensures that districts don't lose a judgeship if a judge retires or takes senior status after a temporary judgeship expires in the future.
This bill makes permanent judgeships in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas. Passing this bill will provide stability to the regions of those States that have come to rely on these temporary judgeships since their creation, in some cases more than 30 years ago.
This bill takes into account the recommendations of the Judicial Conference of the United States, and it is sorely needed.
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Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, I echo the comments of my colleague from across the aisle, and I urge my colleagues in the House to support this bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation, S. 3998, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. FRY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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