Payne, House Democrats reintroduce bill limiting presidential powers

House Democrats, among them Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark), reintroduced a wide-ranging bill on Tuesday aimed at reining in the powers of the president – or, more specifically, the powers of a president like Donald Trump.

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Payne previously cosponsored a similar bill in both the 2017-18 and 2019-20 congressional sessions. In 2020, he was joined on the bill by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes); Payne may be joined by more New Jersey Democrats this time as well, but a full list has yet to be released.

“No president has shown a greater disregard for the Constitution or the safety and welfare of the American people than former President Trump,” Payne said in a statement. “This bill strengthens [the Constitution’s] checks and balances and prohibits future presidents from repeating the same, self-serving actions of former President Trump.”

Entitled the Protecting Our Democracy Act, the bill contains numerous provisions, most of them seemingly referencing specific actions Trump took or threatened to take while in office.

Among them are increasing Congress’ ability to investigate presidential pardons, strengthening congressional subpoenas, banning presidential self-pardons, solidifying the Hatch Act and whistleblower protections, and requiring reports from political candidates and committees on their contacts with foreign agents.