US House approves bill to restrict district judges' nationwide rulings on Trump measures

The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday limiting federal district judges from issuing nationwide injunctions. The move, backed mainly by Republicans, follows repeated court blocks of Trump administration policies. The bill restricts judicial orders to only those directly involved in a case.

The legislation would prevent judges from issuing nationwide injunctions—orders that currently allow a single court to block government policies across the entire country.

The bill reflects growing Republican frustration over court decisions that have stalled or overturned policies from former President Donald Trump’s administration. These include actions like firing federal workers, freezing government funds, and shutting down federal offices. Most recently, judges in Texas and New York blocked the application of the Alien Enemies Act on detainees.

Republicans argue that the judiciary is interfering too broadly and too often, calling it a form of judicial overreach. "A single judge can block the entire ‘America first’ agenda. This must end," said Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina. Others, like Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri, went as far as to call the situation a "judicial coup."

Democrats counter that courts are stepping in because of unlawful or unconstitutional executive orders. They also point out that Republican-appointed judges have issued similar injunctions during Joe Biden ’s presidency, questioning the timing and intent behind the current bill. “If you don’t want injunctions, stop doing illegal things,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal .

Though the bill has cleared the House by a vote of 219-213, it is unlikely to pass in the Senate, where at least some Democratic support would be needed to overcome procedural hurdles. A similar bill introduced earlier also failed to advance.