Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the Protecting Our Democracy Act today. The bill (H.R. 5314) is a package of measures designed to hold presidents accountable for their actions and restore the country’s traditional system of governmental checks and balances. The legislation is a response to the actions of former President Trump, whose actions as president exposed potential weaknesses in the American political system. President Trump used and abused the powers of his office to enrich his family business interests, protect his loyalists from Congressional oversight and legal penalties, and encourage foreign interference in American elections. The U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Trump twice (December 18, 2019 and January 13, 2021) for his continual abuse of presidential authority.
“No president has shown a greater disregard for the Constitution or the safety and welfare of the American people than former President Trump,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. “The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution with the belief that all American Presidents would put the betterment of the nation ahead of any personal agenda. But they were smart enough to create a system of checks and balances to protect the country in case presidents abuse their power. This bill strengthens those checks and balances and prohibits future presidents from repeating the same, self-serving actions of former President Trump.”
The bill provides several benefits to American democracy. It increases transparency in the pardon process to expose presidential motivations when granting pardons and clarifies bans on self-pardons and pardons used for corrupt ends. It permits presidents to be held accountable for criminal conduct and forces future presidents, vice presidents and political candidates for those offices to publicize their federal tax returns. The bill gives Congress the power of approval before presidents can accept gifts and favors from foreign governments. It increases Congressional power over federal spending and its ability to enforce subpoenas. In addition, it protects federal whistleblowers, enforces a more independent U.S. Department of Justice to ensure equal protections under the law, and prevents future elections from foreign interference.
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