Congress cannot remove "federal" appellate jurisdiction. It can only constrain the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (which would have the effect of making the circuit court the "court of last resort" setting the binding precedents for each district).
Actually, Congress has the ability to remove circuit court jurisdiction or disband the Circuit Courts altogether. The Circuit Courts do not exist but for a Congressional mandate establishing them. See U.S. Const. Art. III, Sec. 1.