EDITORIAL: Biden vetoes lifeline to federal courts and litigants

There’s precious little agreement between congressional Republicans and Democrats these days. So it’s unusual that the president this week vetoed a bill that garnered bipartisan support in both houses. The explanation, not surprisingly, rests in pure partisanship and the progressive thirst for political power.

On Monday, President Joe Biden vetoed the JUDGES Act, which would have added 66 new judges to the federal courts. The move was an effort to speed up justice by addressing backlogs in the federal courts. The bill had unanimously sailed through the Senate in August before passing the House 236-173 last week.

Supporters of the reform point out that there has been no increase in the number of federal appeals court judgeships in four decades. The federal district courts haven’t added judgeships since 2003. Yet caseloads have increased about 20 percent in both courts over the past two decades. The expansion proposal was embraced by a wide range of judicial organizations, and Mr. Biden’s veto was met with criticism from across the political spectrum.

“The communities affected and their current judges deserved this bipartisan solution to the caseload crisis,” noted the Federal Bar Association. “The FBA urges continued work on this issue when the new Congress convenes in January.”

Mr. Biden’s veto explanation argued that the bill was too hastily assembled. That’s balderdash. In reality, the president and some House Democrats are unhappy with the November election results and don’t want leave the appointment of additional federal judges to Donald Trump.

Yet the legislation was structured to spread the creation of the new seats across the next three administrations, precisely to avoid partisan battles. Clearly Mr. Biden — or whoever is making decisions at the White House these days — isn’t bullish on his party’s chances in the 2028 and 2032 elections.

“The president’s veto will contribute to the pattern of growing caseloads and increasing backlogs that hurt litigants and weakens public confidence in our courts,” said a statement from Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr., director of the administrative office of the U.S. courts.

Mr. Biden leaves office having made a slew of unfortunate decisions that make clear he places more emphasis on protecting his own family members and kowtowing to the radical left than on ensuring the federal judicial system delivers justice in an efficient and timely manner for all those involved. When Republicans gain control of the Senate in January, they should resuscitate the JUDGES Act and send it to the White House for Mr. Trump’s signature.