Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Supreme Court Biennial Appointments and Term Limits Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 10 Democratic cosponsors · See all 10 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``Supreme Court Biennial Appointments and Term Limits Act of 2026'', seeks to amend title 28 of the United States Code. It establishes a regularized schedule where the President appoints one justice during the first and third years of a Presidential term. The Act changes how justices preside over different types of cases, limiting appellate jurisdiction cases to the 9 most recently appointed justices. It also outlines procedures for handling vacancies in the office of the Chief Justice. Additionally, the bill provides instructions for filling vacancies when the number of justices falls below 9.
Yes
- Scored +4
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
By establishing a regularized schedule for appointments, the bill makes the judicial vacancy process more predictable and transparent.
- Scored +3
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill mandates specific appointment timelines and jurisdiction rules for the Supreme Court through federal law.
- Scored +2
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The bill establishes a more predictable and regularized schedule for judicial appointments and vacancy filling.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Predictable Judicial Appointments: The President is required to appoint one individual within the first 120 days of the first and third years of a Presidential term, which creates a regularized appointment schedule (Section 2, Sec. 7(a)(1)).
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Clear Continuity for Chief Justice Vacancies: If the Chief Justice is unable to perform duties or the office is vacant, the powers and duties devolve upon the associate justice next in precedence (Section 2, Sec. 3(a)).
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Rules for Filling Immediate Vacancies: If the total number of justices falls below 9 due to a permanent vacancy, the President can appoint the necessary number of individuals to bring the total back to 9 (Section 2, Sec. 7(c)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limited Participation in Appellate Cases: Only the 9 most recently appointed justices who are not unavailable due to a temporary absence are permitted to preside over appellate jurisdiction cases (Section 2, Sec. 2(b)).
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Restricted Appointment Window: The President is prohibited from appointing any individual if the number of justices who do not hear appellate jurisdiction cases has already reached 9 (Section 2, Sec. 7(a)(3)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — By establishing a regularized schedule for appointments, the bill makes the judicial vacancy process more predictable and transparent. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill mandates specific appointment timelines and jurisdiction rules for the Supreme Court through federal law. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill establishes a more predictable and regularized schedule for judicial appointments and vacancy filling.
- 7/22/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 10 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont