H.R. 5125 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Sep 17, 2025. Received Sep 18, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRemoves DC's judicial nominations commission
Right now, a special commission recommends judges to the President for DC's Superior Court and Court of Appeals, and the Senate confirms them. This commission also appoints the chief judges who lead these courts. This bill would shut down the commission and let the President appoint the chief judges directly instead.
How it affects you
If you live in Washington, DC or have legal cases in DC courts, this changes how judges are selected and who leads those courts, though the Senate would still need to confirm judges for the two courts. If you live elsewhere, this is a DC-specific change that doesn't directly affect you.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Sep 4, 2025)
District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act
This bill terminates the District of Columbia (DC) Judicial Nomination Commission.
Currently, the commission recommends to the President nominees for judges for DC's Superior Court and Court of Appeals, who must then be confirmed by the Senate. The commission also appoints the chief judges for these courts. The bill terminates the commission's involvement in nominations and requires the President to appoint the chief judges.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 5125
AN ACT
District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX-17) · Introduced Sep 4, 2025 · Law · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 18, 2025: “Received in the Senate.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Sep 17, 2025
Passage Passed 218–211
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 0 | 211 | 2 |
| Republicans | 218 | 0 | 1 |
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.