January 1, House Passes Trump-inspired Bill to Limit Presidential Power

The House passed a sweeping legislative package to limit presidential power, which Democrats designed in response to former President Donald Trump’s time in the White House.

The so-called Protecting Our Democracy Act passed by a vote of 220-208, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) as the only Republican to vote in favor.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the bill’s chief author who led the first impeachment inquiry against Trump in 2019, said, “the need for stronger guardrails is greater than ever.”

“Although the Trump presidency demonstrated the need for wholesale reinforcement of our democratic institutions, the Protecting our Democracy Act is less about the past than it is about the future,” Schiff said.

The comprehensive legislation, in part, would require the Justice Department to inform Congress about any presidential pardon or communication in cases involving a president or their relatives. It would also do away with the statute of limitations on any federal crime committed by a sitting president or vice president.

House Republicans criticized the package, arguing that it “diminishes the power of the executive branch.”

“After nearly a year in power, it’s time for Democrats to actually start governing and abandon their obsession with Donald Trump,” Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said.

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House Approves Post-Trump Curbs on Presidential Power