Top Biden ally 'disappointed' by president's veto on bill to increase number of US judges

A key ally of President Biden expressed frustration after he vetoed a bill designed to increase the number of federal judges. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who co-chaired Biden’s campaign efforts, called the decision disappointing. Coons, along with his Republican counterpart, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., emphasized that the bill was crafted with bipartisanship in mind.

"I’m disappointed for my state and for federal judges nationwide who are overwhelmed by rising caseloads," Coons said in a statement on Tuesday. He explained that he and Young had worked for years to advance the legislation, which had bipartisan support. "It’s unfortunate that this bill won’t become law," Coons added.

The senator placed the blame on House Republicans, who delayed the bill's passage until after the 2024 election, thus preventing it from reaching Biden’s desk in time. "We structured the JUDGES Act to ensure it was a nonpartisan effort, but House Republicans waited until after the election results," Coons said. "That delay led to the veto."

Republican leaders, meanwhile, accused Biden of making political calculations to block the bill, fearing it would give President-elect Trump the chance to fill new judicial vacancies. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., criticized the veto in a statement, calling it an obstruction of progress and arguing that the legislation had broad bipartisan support.

"This bill passed the Senate unanimously in August, and Democrats supported it then, believing Kamala Harris would win the presidency," Johnson said. "Now, they’ve reversed course because of partisan politics."

The bill proposed creating 66 new federal district judge positions, staggered over more than a decade, to address mounting case backlogs and improve judicial efficiency. While it passed the Senate without any objections, its journey stalled in the Republican-controlled House after the election, ultimately leading to the veto.

At the time, Democratic support for the bill was high, partly due to Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race and the assumption that Vice President Kamala Harris would succeed him.