“Our democracy is not self-sufficient – it works and takes a commitment to protect it from those who weaken it, whether foreign or domestic, foreign or local,” the chairman of the seven-house committee, which unveiled the bill, said in a statement. “Now is the time for Congress to strengthen the foundations of democracy and make sure our laws are strong enough to sustain a lawless president.”
The move, known as the Democrats Protect Our Democracy Act, was introduced by Adam Schiff, chairman of the intelligence committee, Gerold Nadler, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Caroline Maloney, chairman of the Oversight Committee, and John Yarmuth, chairman of the budget. Angel, and Richard Neal, chairman of House Ways and Means.
The bill was also signed by members of the order-and-file judiciary and oversight committee.
The move includes a slew of specific proposals – some previously introduced as a single bill in Congress – in response to controversies surrounding Trump’s presidency, his campaign’s contacts with Russia in 2016 and his efforts to pressure investigators into subsequent FBI investigations. Free political allies from legal action. Penalties for violating the Hatch Act, which was proposed to ban federal employees from engaging in partisan politics on taxpayers’ money, were proudly executed by many White House employees early in Trump’s term.
For a move, the attorney general needs to log in to contacts between senior Justice Department officials and the White House, with the aim of preventing political interference in sensitive matters, particularly those involving presidential aides. The second will stop the president from removing the inspector general without a good reason, and Congress will need prior notice, a response to the removal of the inspector general for the intelligence community, the Pentagon and the State Department, who are chairing an investigation by Trump linked to sensitive Trump. And that would add extra protections for whistleblowers coming to Congress, protected from retaliation by the president or vice president.
The second step would limit Congress’ “purse power,” the ability of presidents to curb congressional spending, such as Trump’s unilateral move to withhold 39 391 million in aid to Ukraine, which forced the country’s president to investigate Biden and other Democrats. And the proposal would also limit the president’s ability to declare a national emergency without a congressional review; Trump procured funds for his border wall by declaring a national emergency which enabled him to redirect funds.
The new proposal will strengthen the hand of Congress in all investigations, including the executive branch.
A provision needs to give priority to congressional litigation by the courts. It also allows congressional committees to request a review of their attire by a three-judge district court panel – appealing directly to the Supreme Court. Recipients of the second congressional subpoena are required to comply with all documentation and testimony requests, with limited exceptions, in which case the targets must provide a log log detailing any withheld information and the legal rationale for refusing to provide it.
The move would require a campaign to notify the FBI and the Federal Election Commission if a foreign national or foreign power agent provides assistance or seeks assistance.
