Schumer Threatens Legislation if Texas Federal Court Won’t Discourage Judge-Shopping

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) threatened to push legislation to force a federal district court in Texas that has repeatedly ruled against the Biden administration to discourage alleged forum shopping by Republican plaintiffs.

Schumer and Democrats are angry that Texas-based Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, has issued a series of rulings opposed by Democrats.

Based in the single-judge Amarillo Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Kacsmaryk infuriated pro-abortion activists when he issued a ruling on April 7 finding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was wrong to approve the abortion drug mifepristone for public use in 2000.

In October 2022, Kacsmaryk struck down a federal guidance exempting LGBT employees from workplace policies on bathroom use, dress codes, locker rooms, and pronoun usage.

In December 2021, Kacsmaryk ruled against a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers.