United StatesEliminates Senate confirmation and automatically appoints D.C. judges
This changes who confirms D.C. judges and how quickly vacancies are filled, affecting court speed, oversight, and potential politicization.
What it does
Requires the President to appoint D.C. court judges from the Judicial Nomination Commission's list instead of nominating them for Senate confirmation.
Revises multiple provisions in the Home Rule Act to replace language about 'nomination' and 'nominees' with 'appointment' and 'persons' throughout the statute.
Creates a new section (434A) that requires notice of an appointment to be sent to congressional leaders and starts a 30-calendar-day period during which Congress can pass a joint resolution to disapprove the appointment.
Applies the change to appointments made on or after enactment and provides transition rules treating pending nominees as if notice were transmitted on the enactment date.
Argument forSpeeds up filling local D.C. judicial vacancies by allowing appointments to take effect automatically after a short waiting period, reducing long vacancies in the courts.
Argument againstRemoves the Senate's usual advice-and-consent role for D.C. judges, eliminating a formal federal check on appointments.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 18Introduced in HouseLatest
- Jun 18Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E589)
- Jun 18Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.Introduced
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