District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025

Sponsor: Pete Sessions (Republican-TX)September 4, 2025

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Received in the Senate.

President would directly pick D.C. judges, ending the current nomination commission.

The President would gain direct power to nominate judges for District of Columbia courts and choose chief judges, ending the commission that currently recommends judicial candidates. This changes how D.C. judges are selected, giving the President more direct authority over local court appointments.

What Would Change

Currently, a commission recommends a list of judicial candidates to the President for District of Columbia courts, and the President must choose from that list. The commission also helps designate chief judges. If this bill passes, the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission would be ended. The President would then directly nominate judges for D.C. courts and directly choose chief judges, without needing a list or recommendation from any commission. These changes would apply to all future appointments.

Key Provisions

Ends the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission.
Lets the President directly nominate judges for District of Columbia courts.
Lets the President directly choose chief judges for District of Columbia courts.
Removes the requirement that the President must pick judges from a list provided by a commission.
Applies these new rules to all judicial appointments made after the bill becomes law.