# Plain Language Summary: District of Columbia Courts Vacancy Reduction Act

Right now, when judges need to be appointed to DC's courts, the President nominates someone and then the Senate has to approve them through a confirmation process. This bill changes that system by letting judges get appointed automatically without Senate approval. Instead of going through the Senate confirmation process, the President would simply appoint judges directly from a list of candidates recommended by DC's Judicial Nomination Commission. If the Commission's recommended candidate isn't appointed by the President, the Commission itself can make the appointment.

The main reason for this change is to fill empty judge positions faster. Court vacancies can slow down the justice system—cases take longer to resolve when there aren't enough judges to hear them. By removing the Senate approval step, which can take months or even years, the bill aims to get judges on the bench more quickly so courts can function better and handle their caseload more efficiently.

However, Congress still gets a say through a different mechanism. Once someone is appointed as a judge, Congress has 30 days to pass a joint resolution disapproving of that appointment. If both the House and Senate vote to disapprove, the appointment won't go through. This gives lawmakers a way to block appointments they object to, but it requires active disapproval rather than requiring approval upfront. The bill applies to future judge appointments going forward, and it also treats any judges currently waiting for Senate confirmation as if they've already been appointed, starting the 30-day disapproval clock for them.

District of Columbia Courts Vacancy Reduction Act

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

District of Columbia Courts Vacancy Reduction Act This bill allows District of Columbia judicial nominees to be appointed after a 30-day congressional review period without the advice and consent of the Senate, unless a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law during that period.