House Democrats propose adding 51 judges to expand US appeals courts

House Democrats introduced new legislation, led by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), to add an additional 51 judges to the nation's federal appeals courts, a move they say is necessary to address a significant backlog of cases.

Johnson, along with seven Democrats in the House of Representatives, brought forth the Circuit Court Judgeships Act of 2022, which they said would address understaffed federal appellate courts across the nation.

"Our circuit courts, including in the Eleventh Circuit, are overwhelmed," Johnson wrote in a statement Wednesday. "To have a functioning legal system, we...