Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, additional permanent bankruptcy judgeships have not been authorized since 1992. The Judicial Conference has requested more judgeships several times and the House has passed legislation to add them; however, the Senate has not acted on these requests. Since Congress last authorized additional permanent judgeships, judicial workloads have increased substantially. The important bankruptcy reforms Congress passed in 2005, for example, called on judges to do more to prevent abuse. Congress compensated for some of the court's increasing burden in recent years by creating temporary bankruptcy judgeships. Many of those judgeships are near their expiration dates. The time has come for Congress to address bankruptcy judgeships needs on a permanent basis. Bankruptcy judges are essential to the bankruptcy process. They make certain that the process is fair and impartial to those who come before the bankruptcy courts. It is also their job to ensure that the bankruptcy courts effectively adjudicate parties' rights and responsibilities. This bill is based on a comprehensive study done by the Judicial Conference. The conference has assured us that its request comes only after taking steps to maximize all other alternatives to reduce judicial workloads. There are currently 352 bankruptcy judges, including 36 temporary judges.…”