Court funding is up—clears the clog

March 21 (Reuters) - A bipartisan $1.2 trillion spending package unveiled by U.S. congressional leaders on Thursday would provide a modest increase in spending on the federal judiciary, but falls short of what the court system had sought.

Set for a vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Friday, the spending package would increase discretionary spending, opens new tab on the judiciary for the 2024 fiscal year to $8.63 billion, up 2% from 2023.

That's below the $8.95 billion the judiciary had asked for in December when it reduced an earlier request for an 8% spending increase to just a 5.8% boost as a result of scaled-back hiring and investments that it said could offset its 2024 needs.

Funding for court security would remain flat at $750 million even as the U.S. Marshals Service is reporting that serious threats against federal judges had increased to 457 in fiscal year 2023, from 224 in fiscal year 2021.

The judiciary had asked for $783.2 million to bolster security, a 4.4% increase from what the 2023 budget provided. The judiciary in 2023 received an additional $112.5 million in supplemental funding to improve courthouse security.

"I understand members of Congress want to rein in certain categories of spending, but keeping judiciary security funding flat at a time of rising threats against judges seems unwise," said Gabe Roth, who heads the court reform group Fix the Court.

A summary of the spending bills by Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the legislation "provides adequate resources to ensure an impartial, strong, and secure judiciary."

The U.S. Supreme Court would receive $129.3 million in discretionary funding for salaries and expenses, an 18% increase from 2023, while spending for the care of its building and grounds would drop nearly 30% to $20.7 million.

The legislation increases spending on federal public defenders from prior versions of the bill, after the judiciary and Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee members warned of steep job cuts if funding was not boosted.

The $1.451 billion provided for federal public defenders is an increase of $68 million above fiscal year 2023, though it still falls short of the $1.5 billion funding that the judiciary argued was needed.

Based on the new proposed spending levels, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said a hiring freeze for federal defenders' offices nationally that began in July 2023 was being lifted immediately.

Melody Brannon, the federal public defender in Kansas who helped respond to congressional requests for information on spending, in an email said she was grateful Congress recognized the shortfall public defenders faced in earlier budget drafts.

"We remain underfunded and it is vitally important that we get the resources we need for FY 2025," she said. "But we are breathing easier today."