Washington, D.C. — Today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 34 co-sponsors introduced the No Kings Act, which would reaffirm that presidents do not have immunity for actions that violate federal criminal law and clarify that Congress, not the Supreme Court, decides how to apply federal criminal laws. In response, Ben Olinsky, senior vice president for Structural Reform and Governance at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This legislation unequivocally affirms that presidents are not kings who stand above the law. The Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity decision was one of the most dangerous in our nation’s history, grievously wounding our system of checks and balances. Congress must step in to correct the court’s misapplication of the Constitution. This pro-democracy legislation strikes back against the extremist court by ensuring that presidents are accountable under the law.
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