10 temporary federal judgeships would become permanent under Senate bill approved on voice vote
The U.S. Senate on Saturday approved by voice vote a bipartisan bill that would make permanent 10 temporary federal district court judgeships. (Image from Shutterstock)
The U.S. Senate on Saturday approved by voice vote a bipartisan bill that would make permanent 10 temporary federal district court judgeships.
The bill now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives, where a similar bill is pending, report Reuters and Bloomberg Law.
Senate sponsors of the measure were Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
The temporary judgeships that would be made permanent are in the Northern District of Alabama, the District of Arizona, the Central District of California, the Southern District of Florida, the District of Hawaii, the District of Kansas, the Eastern District of Missouri, the District of New Mexico, the Western District of North Carolina and the Eastern District of Texas.
The Senate vote follows a March 2023 recommendation of the U.S. Judicial Conference to convert seven of the judgeships into permanent positions and to extend the two others—in the Northern District of Alabama and the District of Kansas—for five more years.
The Judicial Conference recommendation did not address the Hawaii judgeship.
The conference also voted to ask Congress for another 66 permanent district court judgeships and two additional judgeships in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco.
