House Republicans hid a provision deep in their Medicaid-slashing megabill to shield Trump and his cronies from contempt of court citations. And now, Senate Republicans have stripped their No Contempt Clause out of the bill, but the new version that they’ve proposed instead is just as bad, if not worse.
It would stop judges from issuing any restraining orders or temporary injunctions against the federal government if there isn’t a bond in place. In this context, “bond” is money that the person suing the government would have to put down in case they lose the case - basically, requiring people to pay a form of insurance in order to bring a lawsuit against Trump. The provision also closes a loophole in the House provision that would allow courts to set the bond as low as $1.
So for anyone besides states, big corporations, and the ultra-wealthy, it will be too expensive to fight for relief from Trump’s abuses of power in court. His attacks on vulnerable communities will continue relentlessly while the case is being heard.
This provision is a clear violation of Senate rules, but we can’t count on Republican leadership to just follow the rules. We need all senators to feel the heat to ensure this provision is defeated.
Submit this form and we’ll automatically email your senators the message below.
The email to your senators:
Dear Senator,
Sec. 203 of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s reconciliation markup to prevent courts from issuing injunctions or temporary restraining orders against the federal government would cause chaos for our courts and country.
No person or branch of government should be above the law. And anyone — regardless of their financial means — should be able to seek relief from unjust policies while they are being litigated. But the provision ignores justice in its un-American rush to hand Trump king-like powers.
As your constituent, I urge you to speak out against this provision and VOTE NO on any bill that includes this reckless and dangerous “No Injunctions Clause.”
Sincerely,
[Your name]