Judiciary Used as ‘Bargaining Chip’ in Debt Limit Pipeline Deal

A provision in the debt ceiling deal that strips Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) pipeline project of judicial review comes as Senate Democrats have criticized conservatives for strategically using the judiciary for their political gain.

Conservatives have had great success funneling lawsuits, including ones that challenged abortion pills and protections for LGBTQ people, to the Northern District of Texas where case assignments all but ensure they’ll get heard by sympathetic judges.

It’s not unprecedented for Congress to dictate the terms by which courts can review a given statute or even consider it all. Still, legal scholars say the timing of the ...