Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) has announced that he will be reintroducing his constitutional amendment to limit Trump’s pardon power in the Democratically controlled House.

Read the text of the constitutional amendment:

[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.politicususa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/BILLS-115hjres120ih.pdf”]

The amendment would prohibit presidents from pardoning themselves, as well as members of their family, their administration and campaign staff.

In a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Rep. Cohen said, “President Trump’s overtures to his convicted former campaign chairman Paul Manafort pose a dangerous threat to the rule of law and are not what the Founders intended when they included the pardon power in the Constitution. The pardon power is supposed to serve justice, not thwart it. It was never meant to immunize presidents’ families and close advisors against laws the rest of us must obey. That’s what kings and dictators do, and if there is one thing the Founders made clear, it was that we don’t have kings in the United States of America.”

A Constitutional Amendment Isn’t An Immediate Answer But Might Become Important To Have On Hand

If Trump abuses the presidential pardon power to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation, after he is impeached and removed from office, there will be a serious discussion about limiting presidential pardon power. That is where the constitutional amendment comes into play. Cohen’s amendment is more than a gesture. It is preparation for the worst case scenario,

Democrats are looking to move to limit this president’s power, and also planning to make sure that there can never be another Trump.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association