Divisional Realignment Act of 2012

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5512) to amend title 28, United States Code, to realign divisions within two judicial districts, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5512, as amended, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I support H.R. 5512, the Divisional Realignment Act of 2012, sponsored by Representative Bennie Thompson.

On March 13, 2012, the Judicial Conference of the United States adopted a draft bill that realigns divisions within the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Mississippi. The Divisional Realignment Act of 2012 reflects the draft developed by the Judicial Conference which the Judiciary Committee marked up on May 16. The realignments equalize workloads among divisions, maximize the use of court facilities, and shorten commutes for jurors and attorneys.

The bill is supported by the judges and attorneys from the two judicial districts and affected Members from Missouri and Mississippi.

The Congressional Budget Office states that H.R. 5512 will have ``only minimal administrative costs and thus no significant impact on the Federal budget.''

The only changes to the bill subsequent to our markup is the effective date. The local judges and the Judicial Conference asked Representative Bennie Thompson, the bill's sponsor, and the other members of the committee to include a 60-day delayed effective date. This provides the local judges in Mississippi and Missouri with more time to adjust their jury wheels to account for the new realignments. This is a good, commonsense change that helps with the administration of justice in the Northern District of Mississippi and the Eastern District of Missouri.

I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the Divisional Realignment Act of 2012 will be adopted by my colleagues, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his generous remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to debate H.R. 5512, the ``Division Realignment Act of 2012.'' The Division Realignment Act of 2012 proposes to amend title 28, United States Code, to adjust divisions within two judicial districts. The realignment will occur between Missouri and Mississippi boundaries within the U.S. District Court. In response to population shifts and other factors, this legislation will transfer counties divisions in an effort to ensure more resourceful productivity on the district court level.

In particular, H.R. 5512 will separate the Northern District of Mississippi into three divisions consisting of, Aberdeen, Oxford and Greenville. Additionally, it seeks to amend Iron and Saint Genevieve Counties, in Missouri, from the eastern subdivision to the southeastern subdivision.

This legislation will aid in the equitable distribution of cases and administration functions for a faster and more efficient processing within the courts.

H.R. 5512 is necessary in maintaining the regulation of Federal statutory authority governing the Federal judicial system. The passage of this bill will assist in reducing case loads, promoting speedy trials, and ensuring that there is accurate jurisdiction within the federal districts among the states.

It is essential that we continue to aim for judicial effectiveness and sufficiency while adjusting to the continued growth and shifts within our communities.

Consistency is critical when the issue of judicial efficiency arises. It should be noted that while this legislation was acted upon swiftly, other important acts have failed to follow it its path. Proficiency within our courts is imperative therefore I encourage the Senate to act on President Obama's nominees so that American citizens can rely on an organized and effective judicial system.

As noted by Senator Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, despite the political party of the President in office, nominations to fill the positions of federal district court judges have always been confirmed quickly with deference given to the home state Senators who best know the nominees and their states. Never before in the Senate's history have the district court nominees been blocked for months as we have seen since President Obama's election.

Like many of my colleagues, it is my hope that both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can end the damage of filibusters and quickly work toward the purpose of easing the burdens on our Federal courts that risk delaying justice.

Federal district court judges play an essential role in ensuring that Federal courts are able to provide fair hearings for all Americans. Similar to H.R. 5512, this is the same judiciary efficiency that the American people deserve.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5512, the Divisional Realignment Act of 2012, which will improve court management for the United States District Courts in the Northern District of Mississippi and the Eastern District of Missouri.

I introduced this bill to help realign counties in those Federal judicial districts, which includes a change that affects counties within my own congressional district. I am pleased to have my colleagues in the Mississippi delegation who represent impacted counties join me as original cosponsors, Congressman Harper and Nunnelee. In Missouri, Representatives Emerson and Carnahan, whose congressional districts overlay the counties affected by the change there, also joined as original cosponsors.

H.R. 5512 will primarily eliminate the Delta Division--one of four existing statutory divisions--in the Northern District of Mississippi. To accomplish this, the eight counties in the Delta Division will be absorbed into the other divisions, while some counties from the other divisions will be realigned.

The proposed also renames the Eastern Division as the Aberdeen Division and the Western Division as the Oxford Division. The two places authorized to hold court now for the Delta Division would continue to exist under the realignment within the Greenville division.

The Delta Division, unlike the other three divisions, is not serviced by a Federal courthouse. This fact has created unnecessary issues regarding venue and jury selection. The realignment will ensure that all counties in the district are statutorily linked to divisions with courthouses. It will also be more economical for jury travel and will more fairly balance the caseload in the Northern District.

This realignment is supported by the judges of the Northern District of Mississippi, the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council, and the Judicial Conference of the United States. In addition, the proposal is backed by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi.

Regarding the Eastern District of Missouri, H.R. 5512 simply shifts two counties from the Eastern Division to the Southeastern Division.

This adjustment will enhance convenient access to court services for the public and improve judicial administration of the case load.

More specifically, the realignment will allow cases for those two counties to be held in Cape Girardeau, which has a new state-of-the-art Federal courthouse. This location is also closer for citizens in those counties than in the St. Louis location where the court is now held. As a result, the change will lessen the burden on jurors traveling, as well as lessen the cost of mileage expenses. In addition, a shift will better align the places of holding court with the total population served today.

This realignment is supported by the judges of the Eastern District of Missouri, the Eighth Judicial Circuit Council, and the Judicial Conference of the United States. In addition, it is supported by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Lastly, I note that the bill under consideration today has been amended by adding a section that establishes a 60-day delayed effective date. This will ensure that both courts have sufficient time to transition court operations through local orders and scheduling.

Mr. Speaker, the House Judiciary Committee reported the Divisional Realignment Act favorably by a voice vote on May 16. I urge my colleagues to support this necessary, bipartisan and noncontroversial bill, which would help constituents and improve Federal court operations in my home State of Mississippi and in the State of Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 5512, the Divisional Realignment Act of 2012, as amended.

This noncontroversial measure, which the Judiciary Committee ordered reported by voice vote, simply reorganizes divisions within the two Federal judicial districts, namely the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Mississippi. I hope I pronounced ``Missourah'' correctly. Some say ``Missourah,'' some say ``Missouri.'' I'll stick with ``Missourah'' right now--I'm feeling kind of down home.

This divisional realignment is being done at the request of these two districts to improve judicial administration and access to court for jurors and litigants. These proposals were formally adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States on March 13, 2012, and transmitted to the House Judiciary Committee.

According to the Judicial Conference, these changes are supported by the judicial councils of the circuits in which these districts are located, as well as the United States Attorneys for the affected districts.

Under H.R. 5512, two counties in the Eastern District of Missouri will be shifted from its Eastern Division to its Southeastern Division. The bill also eliminates one of the four divisions within the Northern District of Mississippi and reallocates the counties within the eliminated division among the remaining three divisions.

The Members whose districts would be affected by these divisional changes--that being Representatives Bennie Thompson, Gregg Harper, Alan Nunnelee, Jo Ann Emerson, and Russ Carnahan--have all sponsored or cosponsored this bill. In deference to these Members' familiarity with local conditions, therefore, we do not oppose these changes.

We have made one revision to H.R. 5512 at the request of the Judicial Conference. To give the judges in the two affected districts some additional time to implement the bill's new divisional realignments, the version of the bill that we are considering today includes a 60-day delayed effective date.

I thank Chairman Lamar Smith and Subcommittee Chairman Howard Coble for their assistance in moving this bipartisan legislation that should improve the administration of justice in these judicial districts.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 5512 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.