Bill to protect federal judges added to must-pass defense package

By Ted Barrett, CNN

A trio of Democratic senators announced Wednesday that a bill to wall off private information about federal judges that are stored in public data basis — such as tax records and vehicle information — has been added to a must-pass legislative package of defense funding that is expected to be approved before the end of the year.

Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both from New Jersey, urged their colleagues to support the proposal’s inclusion in the annual National Defense Authorization Act legislation, a must-pass bill that sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense.

“The inclusion of the bipartisan Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2021 in the Senate substitute amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 brings us one step closer to protecting federal judges and their families,” the senators said in a joint statement. “No judge in America should have to fear for their lives and the safety of their family as they work to deliver equal justice under the law.”

Durbin, who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is also a member of Democratic leadership in the chamber.

Quick passage of the judicial security legislation, which has bipartisan support, has been held up by GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky who wants the same privacy protections for members of Congress added to the legislation.

The bill is named for Daniel Anderl, the son of a federal Judge Esther Salas. He was shot and killed at their New Jersey home by a disgruntled lawyer who had appeared before his mother in court.

Its inclusion in the annual defense bill does not guarantee it will become law, but it highly increases its chances.

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CNN’s Manu Raju contributed to this report.