Rep. Laurel Lee Questions Witnesses at Judiciary Hearing on Crisis of Undermanned Federal Courts

February 25, 2025 Press Release Washington, D.C . – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) questioned witnesses at the House Judiciary Committee hearing titled, "Crisis of Undermanned Federal Courts." District courts nationwide are facing more than 700,000 pending cases due to a shortage of judgeship. The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which includes Florida’s 15th District, has more than 10 million people residing there, with the active caseloads per judge 20% above the national average. In the 118th Congress, the House and Senate passed the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved Act of 2024 ( JUDGES Act ), which received bipartisan support but was ultimately vetoed by President Biden. The JUDGES Act would have created 63 permanent judgeships in six phases from 2025-2035; tasked the GAO with evaluating the efficiency of federal courts and assessing detention space needs; and would have required the Judicial Conference to publicly release its judicial seat recommendations and methodology. Image Click here to watch the questions series .