Following President Donald Trump's call for his impeachment, a Republican senator has introduced legislation aimed at Judge James Boasberg, escalating a GOP campaign against the Washington, D.C., federal district judge.

According to Bloomberg, Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, unveiled the proposed bill this week — titled the BOASBERG Act — which would mandate random case assignment in federal district courts and impose penalties on anyone who attempts to manipulate the system.

Boasberg, appointed by former President Barack Obama, first drew the ire of MAGA Republicans in 2025 when he ruled against Trump's attempt to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime statute that had previously been used only in the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, to advance his mass deportation agenda. Republicans subsequently accused him, without evidence, of forcing his way onto a case involving the Trump administration's use of the Signal messaging app for military communications. The court repeatedly stated that Boasberg had been randomly assigned to the case under standard policy.

Trump's calls for Boasberg's impeachment drew a rare public rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who said impeachment was "not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." Numerous other Republicans echoed the impeachment push.

The legislation arrives amid a broader clash between the executive branch and the federal judiciary over the limits of presidential authority on immigration and national security. It also follows a 2024 policy change by the Judicial Conference, the policymaking body of the federal courts, that directed district courts with multiple judges to randomly assign cases within a division — a step aimed at curbing judge shopping nationwide.

Bloomberg reported that Schmitt's legislation would require district courts to publicly disclose their civil case assignment practices or explain why cases cannot be randomly assigned. Those who attempt to "manipulate or evade the randomized case assignment system" would face penalties under the bill.

The proposed measure would also remove district judges from cases if the Supreme Court vacates, reverses, or stays their rulings. Appeals court judges would similarly lose their case assignments if the Supreme Court vacated or reversed a judgment that had affirmed a lower court ruling.

Under the bill, federal appeals courts would be subject to random assignment procedures for forming the three-judge panels that hear cases, and cases could only be reassigned under limited circumstances. Judges would also be randomly assigned to the rare three-judge courts convened to weigh challenges to district maps. Both district and appeals courts would be required to share annual statistics on judicial assignments and reassignments.

"The BOASBERG Act prevents Judges from forcing their way onto cases and is an important piece of court transparency legislation that will help restore the American people's confidence in our judiciary," Schmitt said in a statement.

Bloomberg noted a provision in Schmitt's proposal stating it was not intended "to prevent district courts from assigning cases filed within a division to 1 or more judges." The outlet interpreted this as an effort to avoid targeting the practice of "judge shopping," in which litigants file suits in smaller districts where they are "all but guaranteed" to draw a sympathetic judge — a tactic conservatives have been accused of employing frequently in recent years. The bill would face steep procedural hurdles in the Senate, where most legislation requires 60 votes to advance.

The original article was published by Alternet.