A bill to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to provide for the automatic appointment of judges to the District of Columbia courts without the advice and consent of the Senate, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 18, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
This bill would fundamentally change how judges are appointed to District of Columbia courts by removing the Senate confirmation requirement. Currently, the President nominates judges and the Senate must approve them, but this legislation would allow the President to directly appoint judges from candidates recommended by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission without Senate involvement. To provide a check on this power, Congress would gain the ability to block any judicial appointment within 30 days by passing a joint resolution of disapproval, using expedited procedures similar to those used for reviewing D.C. Council legislation. The bill would apply to all new judicial appointments made after its enactment, and it includes a transition rule allowing pending nominees to automatically move forward through the new process. The stated purpose is to reduce lengthy judicial vacancies in D.C. courts by streamlining the appointment process.
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