Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced legislation reaffirming presidents don't have immunity for criminal actions, an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will introduce legislation Thursday reaffirming that presidents do not have immunity for criminal actions, an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month.

Schumer’s No Kings Act would attempt to invalidate the decision by declaring that presidents are not immune from criminal law and clarifying that Congress, not the Supreme Court, determines to whom federal criminal law is applied.

The court’s conservative majority decided July 1 that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken within their official duties — a decision that threw into doubt the Justice Department’s case against Republican former President Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Schumer, of New York, said that Congress has an obligation and the constitutional authority to check the Supreme Court on its decision.

      • archomrade [he/him]@midwest.socialEnglish
        51·
        4 months ago

        Sure, but it increases the volatility and partisan nature of the court

        I don’t think SC reform is optional, nor do I think executive immunity is a solution. A fun one-time trick to make a point isn’t going to fix the systemic issues of the court or legislature.

        Edit: a huge symptom of the dysfunction of the federal government is the power that’s accumulating into the executive. ‘You can do whatever you want so long as the court happens to agree with you’ is just shit politics.

        • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
          11·
          4 months ago

          I’m not really sold on constitutionalism, but the least we could do is make it democratic.

          Appoint every adult in America to the Supreme Court and let the majority decide what the Constitution means. 🤷‍♀️