Sen. Jeff Merkley unveiled a sweeping legislative plan to reassert congressional power over the executive branch, building on his marathon 2025 speech which accused President Donald Trump of abusing his office.
“This is a president trying to become a strongman authoritarian,” Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, said on the latest episode of the On NOTUS podcast. “If we don’t repair the Constitution, we don’t have a republic.”
Merkley’s 10-point “For Our Republic Act” would insulate inspectors general and nonpartisan civil service from interference without the consent of Congress, ban recissions from congressionally appropriated funds and extend bribery and ethics statutes to the president and vice president.