Impeaching Sparkle L. Sooknanan, a Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Bill Number

H.Res. 1421

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-07-09: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Last Updated

2026-07-10T10:18:33Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose This resolution impeaches Sparkle L. Sooknanan, a Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, for high crimes and misdemeanors. It accuses her of overstepping judicial bounds by blocking a presidential program through an injunction.

Key Provisions The resolution presents five articles of impeachment, each alleging misuse of judicial power:

• Article I (Abuse of judicial authority): Claims the judge issued an injunction halting President Trump's SAVE program, substituting her judgment for that of the elected executive.
• Article II (Usurpation of executive authority): States the injunction improperly interfered with the President's duty to enforce laws.
• Article III (Disregard for the separation of powers): Argues the action turned the judiciary into a policy-making body beyond its intended role.
• Article IV (Exceeding Article III authority): Asserts the injunction went beyond deciding cases to imposing national policy.
• Article V (Undermining confidence in the judiciary): Claims the ruling created the appearance of political bias and weakened public trust.

Each article repeats language noting that judges serve during "good Behaviour" and that Congress may address overreach through impeachment to protect the separation of powers. The resolution seeks the judge's trial in the Senate, removal from office, and disqualification from future federal positions.

Significant Changes to Existing Law This resolution does not amend statutes. It initiates the constitutional impeachment process under Article I, using the "high crimes and misdemeanors" standard to challenge a specific judicial ruling rather than addressing criminal conduct.

Potential Impacts

• On government agencies: Could affect how federal judges review executive programs like the SAVE initiative, potentially limiting injunctions against presidential actions.
• On citizens: May influence perceptions of judicial neutrality in election-related matters.
• On international relations: No direct effects identified in the resolution.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, who faces removal proceedings.
• The House of Representatives, which introduced the measure.
• The United States Senate, responsible for conducting any trial.
• The Executive Branch, including the President, whose program implementation is involved.
• The federal judiciary as an institution.
• The public, due to questions raised about court impartiality.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The resolution emphasizes that life tenure under Article III is not absolute immunity and frames repeated judicial intervention in executive matters as a violation of "good Behaviour." It positions impeachment as a tool to restore balance among branches but does not detail specific constitutional violations beyond policy disagreement with the injunction. The repeated phrasing across articles highlights concerns about unelected judges shaping national policy.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]

Recent Actions

• 2026-07-09: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2026-07-09: Submitted in House
• 2026-07-09: Submitted in House

Bill Versions

• Impeaching Sparkle L. Sooknanan, a Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, for high crimes and misdemeanors. — issued 2026-07-09 — PDF (9 pages)