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
Referred 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.
The District of Columbia Courts Judicial Vacancy Reduction Act would eliminate the Senate confirmation process for appointing judges to Washington D.C.'s local courts, allowing the President to directly appoint judges from candidates recommended by the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission. Under the bill, appointments would take effect automatically after a 30-day waiting period unless Congress passes a joint resolution of disapproval during that window, giving lawmakers a mechanism to block appointments they oppose. The changes would affect all future judicial appointments to D.C. courts and would also apply retroactively to any judicial nominees whose confirmations were pending at the time the bill is enacted. The bill contains no special funding provisions, as it primarily restructures the appointment process rather than creating new spending. These amendments would represent a significant shift in how D.C.'s judicial branch is staffed, moving from the traditional Senate confirmation model used for federal judges to a system more similar to how some state judiciaries operate.
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