House Democrats Propose Adding 203 District Court Judges (1)

The federal judiciary would get 203 new district court seats in a new bill from House Democrats, far exceeding the number the third branch requested earlier this year.

The bill, called the District Court Judgeships Act of 2021, counters a bipartisan Senate proposal introduced Thursday that would give the judiciary the 77 district seats it most recently requested. Despite continued requests, the last time Congress passed a comprehensive judgeships bill was 30 years ago.

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), chair of the House Judiciary’s courts subcommittee and a lead sponsor on the bill, said understaffed courts are causing delays and ...