Bill · H.R. 5125· House(119-HR-5125)
District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 9/4/2025
- Last activity
- 9/18/2025 — Received in the Senate.
- Sponsored by
- Pete Sessions
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Awaiting Senate
What this bill would do
This bill is called the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025. It amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to end the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission. These changes mean the President will now designate chief judges and nominate judges without using a recommended list from the commission. These updates apply to appointments made on or after the date the Act is enacted.
Yes
Does this give the federal government more power?+5
The bill increases federal power by giving the President direct control over judicial nominations in DC without a commission.
The opposite
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-5
The bill reduces local DC Home Rule by removing the local Judicial Nomination Commission.
Would people in cities be better off under this?-2
DC urban residents lose a layer of local oversight in their judicial selection process.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?-2
Removing a nominating commission may reduce the transparency of the judicial selection process.
What Congress actually voted on
One recorded vote has been taken on this bill.
- The House: the vote on whether to pass the billPassed 218–211
This is the real decision in this chamber. Passing here sends the bill to the other chamber, which must pass it too before it can go to the President.
09/17/2025 · Roll call 274 · recorded as “On Passage”
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Direct Presidential Nomination: Section 2(b)(2) removes the requirement for the President to nominate from a list provided by the commission, allowing the President to nominate directly.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Loss of Commission Oversight: Section 2(a) terminates the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission by striking section 434 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Urban Residents-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+5Increase States Rights-5Improves Government Transparency-2
| Updated | Bill | Title | Policy Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year ago | On agreeing to the Rules amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection. |
- 9/18/2025
- Received in the Senate.
- 9/17/2025
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 211 (Roll no. 274). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4375: 5)
- On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 211 (Roll no. 274). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H4375)
- Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4394)
- POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 5125, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill, and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Garcia (CA) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
- The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 5125.
- Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015 and H.R. 3062. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015, and H.R. 3062 under a closed rule, and provides for a motion to recommit on each measure.
- Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 707. (consideration: CR H4375)
- 9/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/15/2025
- Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 707 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015 and H.R. 3062. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4922, H.R. 5143, H.R. 5140, H.R. 5125, H.R. 1047, H.R. 3015, and H.R. 3062 under a closed rule, and provides for a motion to recommit on each measure.
- 9/10/2025
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 20.
- 9/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/4/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
- 119-S-2854: District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act
- 119-HRES-707: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4922) to limit youth offender status in the District of Columbia to individuals 18 years of age or younger, to direct the Attorney General of the District of Columbia to establish and operate a publicly accessible website containing updated statistics on juvenile crime in the District of Columbia, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to prohibit the Council of the District of Columbia from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5143) to establish standards for law enforcement officers in the District of Columbia to engage in vehicular pursuits of suspects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5140) to lower the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult for certain criminal offenses in the District of Columbia to 14 years of age; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5125) to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to terminate the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1047) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of certain projects, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3015) to reestablish the National Coal Council in the Department of Energy to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters related to coal and the coal industry, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3062) to establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity; and for other purposes.
Clay HigginsRepublican · Louisiana
Joe WilsonRepublican · South Carolina