A measure giving Congress the power to block Trump pardons draws Republican backing
By Andrew Solender
Transparency Analysis
Primary Narrative
A bipartisan constitutional amendment proposal to give Congress power to block presidential pardons gained its first Republican cosponsor, driven by concerns over Trump's recent pardon decisions.
⚠ Conflicts of Interest
Rep. Olszewski (D-Md.) leads amendment proposal that directly opposes Trump administration policy; article centers his framing without equivalent Trump administration response
Evidence: Olszewski quoted extensively; no Trump administration official quoted or paraphrased in response
Rep. Bacon is retiring centrist Republican; his cosponsor position may be motivated by post-political career positioning rather than principled constitutional concern
Evidence: Article notes Bacon is 'retiring centrist Republican' but does not explore potential motivations beyond stated principle
Who Benefits?
Congressional Democrats
Proposal centers Democratic leadership and frames GOP defection as validating Democratic concerns about Trump's pardon authority
Centrist Republicans
Bacon positioned as principled moderate willing to defy Trump, potentially enhancing his post-retirement reputation
Framing Analysis
Perspective
Democratic amendment sponsors and centrist Republican defectors; frames their concerns as 'commonsense' and 'narrow' guardrails
Tone
Language Choices
- 'rare display of GOP defiance' — frames Republican support as exceptional and noteworthy
- 'commonsense check' and 'guardrail' — loaded language suggesting proposal is obviously reasonable
- 'abused' — Bacon's characterization presented without counterargument
- 'bipartisan backlash' — frames opposition as broad consensus
Omitted Perspectives
- Trump administration defense of pardon authority or response to amendment proposal
- Constitutional scholars defending broad presidential pardon power
- Substantive arguments for why pardon power should remain unchecked
Entity Relationships
Trump as president subject to proposed congressional oversight of pardon power | Evidence: Amendment would give Congress power to block Trump's pardons through supermajority votes
Olszewski is a House member leading the amendment proposal | Evidence: Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), who is leading the amendment
Bacon is a House member and cosponsor of the amendment | Evidence: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has signed on as the first Republican co-sponsor
Factual Core
Rep. Don Bacon became the first Republican cosponsor of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow Congress to block presidential pardons through a process requiring 20 House members, 5 senators, and two-thirds majorities in both chambers. The proposal was motivated by concerns over Trump's recent pardons of Jan. 6 defendants and other controversial figures.
Full Article
A proposed constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to block presidential pardons gained its first House Republican cosponsor on Monday. Why it matters: It's a rare display of GOP defiance against President Trump, whose pardons have been the subject of bipartisan backlash in several cases. The president began his second term by pardoning thousands of Jan. 6 defendants, including many who were charged with assaulting law enforcement during the 2021 Capitol riot. He has since granted clemency or pardons to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson, Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and cryptocurrency mogul Changpeng "CZ" Zhao. Most recently, Trump pardoned five former NFL players who were convicted of financial and drug-related crimes. Driving the news: Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), who is leading the amendment, announced Monday that Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has signed on as the first Republican co-sponsor of the Pardon Integrity Act. The amendment would create a process whereby 20 House members and five senators could force a vote on nullifying a presidential pardon, which would then require a two-thirds majority in both chambers. "This amendment creates a narrow, commonsense check to ensure the pardon power is used fairly and responsibly — regardless of who occupies the White House," Olszewski said in a statement. What they're saying: "Presidential pardons are an important constitutional authority, but like all powers held by the executive branch, these authorities benefit from the appropriate checks and balances the Constitution envisioned," Bacon said in a statement. "Across multiple administrations, we've seen legitimate questions raised about how this authority has been used at the same time, the ability of Congress to provide oversight has weakened." The retiring centrist Republican added: "Frankly, it is clear to me the pardon authority has been abused. I'm pleased to cosponsor Rep. Olszewski's Pardon Integrity Act, a constitutional amendment that establishes a narrow, commonsense guardrail." Zoom out: Virtually every recent president has had at least one controversial pardon or commutation. For Bill Clinton it was Marc Rich. For George W. Bush it was Scooter Libby. Trump's first term saw a number of inflammatory pardons for close political allies and associates, including Michael Flynn, Roger Stone and Paul Manafort. Joe Biden, at the end of his term, pardoned his son Hunter, who was convicted of felony gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax charges. Reality check: A Constitutional amendment itself requires two-thirds majorities in both chambers — or ratification by 38 states — to pass, making this effort an extreme long-shot.