A group of federal district court judges have called on lawmakers to increase judiciary funding because of how sequestration cuts impact court operations, Federal Times reported Thursday.
Sean Reilly writes the sequestration has reduced federal court spending by $350 million for fiscal 2013, or about 5 percent of the previous budget levels.
Karen Redmond, a spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, told Federal Times the office requested $73 million in emergency funds in May and still is waiting for Congress to act.
In a letter dated Aug.13, 87 chief judges told Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that budget shortfalls and furloughs have slowed down the litigation process.
“A second year under sequestration will have a devastating, and long lasting, impact on the administration of justice in this country,†the judges wrote.
They asked Congress to support a Senate appropriations bill that includes a 7 percent raise or $500 million to judiciary spending, Reilly reports.
The judges also urged lawmakers to spare the branch from any stopgap measures next fiscal year, Federal Times reports.
