A leading House Democrat is preparing a constitutional amendment in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark immunity ruling, seeking to reverse the decision “and ensure that no president is above the law.”

Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, sent a letter to colleagues informing them of his intent to file the resolution, which would kickstart what’s traditionally a cumbersome amendment process.

“This amendment will do what SCOTUS failed to do — prioritize our democracy,” Morelle said in a statement to AP.

It’s the most significant legislative response yet to the decision this week from the court’s conservative majority, which stunned Washington and drew a sharp dissent from the court’s liberal justices warning of the perils to democracy, particularly as Trump seeks a return to the White House. Still, the effort stands almost no chance of succeeding in this Congress.

  • xantoxis@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    48
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    6 months ago

    A constitutional amendment implies that the constitution doesn’t already cover this when, in its plain language, it definitely does. This provides an implicit concession that the court was right.

    Don’t give them that. Pack the court and issue the opposite decision at the earliest opportunity.

    • chingadera@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      6 months ago

      Honestly at this rate, just start the fucking civil war already. I’d rather go hungry and fight than be pinned by fascists. They’re not playing by the rules, and they intend to do us harm. Fuck that. I’ve got faith in us anyway, we’re smart enough to not fall for their obvious horseshit and we’re smart enough to win if it comes to it.

      • lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        I fear the civil war has already started, just without the shooting each other part. Although that’s kinda already happening too.

        • Barbarian@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          It’s not a civil war and I don’t think it’ll become one. The modern US isn’t geographically separated enough to have any sort of cohesive movement locally. There’s no north vs south playing out, for example.

          Instead, what you have is a slow-rolling coup and social instability.

          • Doubletwist@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            6 months ago

            Just because our previous civil war involved a relatively simple geographical separation, doesn’t mean it’s necessary for a civil war.

            The only thing you need is two (or more) sides with opposing beliefs about how the country should run and who should run it, and that said beliefs are strong enough that people are willing to use violence to ensure that their side wins.

            Geography has nothing to do with it.