Congresswoman Laurel M. Lee | Laurel M. Lee Official Website
Congresswoman Laurel M. Lee | Laurel M. Lee Official Website
Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee of Florida's 15th District participated in a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Crisis of Undermanned Federal Courts." The hearing addressed the significant backlog of over 700,000 pending cases in district courts across the nation due to a shortage of judges.
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida is particularly affected. This district serves more than 10 million residents and has active caseloads per judge that are 20% above the national average.
In response to this issue, both chambers of Congress passed the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024 (JUDGES Act) during the 118th Congress. Despite receiving bipartisan support, President Biden vetoed the legislation. The JUDGES Act proposed creating 63 permanent judgeships over six phases from 2025 to 2035. It also aimed to have the Government Accountability Office evaluate federal court efficiency and assess detention space needs. Additionally, it would have required the Judicial Conference to publicly release its judicial seat recommendations and methodology.
Congresswoman Lee questioned witnesses during this hearing as part of ongoing efforts to address these challenges facing federal courts.
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