{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases/spartz-co-leads-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-providing-critical-new", "Spartz Co-leads Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Providing Critical New Resources to Federal Judiciary", "2021-08-03", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Victoria Spartz", "S000929", "spartz.house.gov", "spartz", "https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (IN-05), member of the House Judiciary Committee, joined representatives Darrell Issa (CA-50), Juan Vargas (CA-51), and Scott Peters (CA-52) in introducing bipartisan and bicameral legislation to provide the federal judiciary critical resources in the form of new judges to relieve overcrowded dockets and streamline vital court proceedings. A Senate companion bill of this legislation was introduced by Senators Todd Young (IN) and Chris Coons (DE).\n\n\u201cOur judicial system is overwhelmed with hundreds of thousands of pending cases. It has long been said that justice delayed is justice denied,\u201d said Congresswoman Spartz. \u201cThis legislation addresses this issue for the most overworked regions of our country, including Indiana, in a productive not political manner.\u201d\n\n\u201cCalifornia courts are both overburdened by caseload and facing a chronic shortage of federal judges, and the negative impacts of this twin inefficiency are serious. When there is an insufficient number of judges on the bench, cases are delayed \u2013 and justice right along with it. We now again have the chance to work in good faith and craft legislation that does not give a partisan advantage. This framework has the potential to achieve bipartisan consensus on a critical issue for our courts and for our country, while continuing to guide future legislation on this vital issue,\u201d said Congressman Issa. \u201cWe now again have the chance to work in good faith and craft legislation that does not give a partisan advantage. This framework has the potential to achieve bipartisan consensus on a critical issue for our courts and for our country, while continuing to guide future legislation on this vital issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cLike many courts across the country, courts in California face a shortage of federal judges. This is dangerous, as it places extreme burdens on the already overtaxed court system,\u201d said Congressman Peters. \u201cThe bipartisan, bicameral bill we introduced today addresses the issue head-on by adding 77 judgeships over the next decade. It\u2019s a commonsense solution and I look forward to working with our colleagues in the House and Senate to get this done.\u201d\n\n\u201cBicameral and bipartisan support for the JUDGES Act underscores the urgency of the judicial crisis we are facing in America. The overload of cases and shortage of judges, which has only worsened during the pandemic, is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Our legislation will help ensure all Americans receive a timely day in federal court,\u201d said Senator Young.\n\n\u201cLower courts across the country, including in Delaware, are struggling to keep up with growing caseloads,\u201d said Senator Coons. \u201cFor too long, Congress has failed to provide the federal bench the resources it needs to give every litigant their day in court. I\u2019m glad to see bipartisan momentum in both the House and Senate to finally address this issue and ensure our judicial system is accessible to all.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nCongress last increased the number of federal district court judgeships more than 17 years ago \u2013 the longest gap since the original establishment of federal district courts in 1789. As of March 31, 2021, there were 696,789 pending cases in federal district courts across the country, averaging 803 filings per judgeship. These cases include civil rights claims, criminal prosecutions, environmental and consumer protection litigation, discrimination claims, challenges to government power, and holding corporations accountable for misconduct.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases/spartz-co-leads-bipartisan-bicameral-legislation-providing-critical-new"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7556481286883354, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}