One Senate Democrat called it “a slap in the face to the concept of separation of powers.”

DEMOCRATS IN THE Senate are preparing to fight an attempt by Republicans to limit federal courts’ authority to block abuses of power by the Trump administration.

The looming showdown over the judiciary’s power to issue contempt orders stems from a single sentence tucked into the thousand-page budget bill, which passed the House of Representatives by a single vote on Thursday.

“This is a slap in the face to the concept of separation of powers,” said a spokesman for Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.).

If enacted, the provision — found on page 544 out of 1,082 — would restrict how federal judges can hold government officials or other litigants in contempt if they defy court-issued injunctions and restraining orders. Contempt is the primary enforcement mechanism available to courts, and in cases around the country judges have weighed whether to issue contempt findings against President Donald Trump’s deputies.

  • BigFig@lemmy.worldEnglish
    252·
    8 days ago

    Do it anyway? THEY don’t give a fuck what’s written on the fucking law books why should Democrats?

    • Tinidril@midwest.socialEnglish
      23·
      8 days ago

      You appear to be missing what this is. The title is a bit misleading. It does nothing at all to prevent the courts from issuing injunctions, it just makes it impossible for the courts to enforce the injunctions they issue. The judiciary can do whatever it wants, and the executive can just ignore it. They are writing into the law that the executive can ignore the law.

  • ZephyrXero@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    7 days ago

    I’m starting to wonder if this budget bill will be seen through history as Trump’s Enabling Act. Or if it’s just a stepping stone