District of Columbia Courts Judicial Vacancy Reduction Act

New D.C. judge appointment rules

This bill would change how judges for the District of Columbia courts are chosen. The President would appoint judges from lists the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission provides, and references to Presidential nomination and Senate confirmation would be replaced with appointment language. If the President does not appoint someone the commission recommended, the commission would be able to appoint that person. The bill would require notice to the Speaker and the Senate president pro tempore and would delay an appointment's effect for a 30-calendar-day waiting period (skipping weekends, holidays, and long recesses) unless Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving the appointment under expedited rules. The bill would also treat certain nominees pending on the enactment date as if notice had been sent that day to avoid delays.