HJRES 13 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States limiting the pardon power of the President.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States limiting the pardon power of the President.
Summary
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would restrict the President's power to grant pardons and reprieves. The amendment would prohibit the President from pardoning themselves, family members up to third-degree relations, current or former administration officials, or paid campaign employees. It would also prohibit pardons for offenses motivated by personal or financial interests of those individuals, or for offenses directed or coordinated by the President. Any pardon issued for a corrupt purpose would be invalid. The amendment would become effective upon ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures, and Congress would have authority to enact legislation to enforce the amendment's provisions.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN)
5 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Jan 9, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Jan 9, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2025
Mr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Mr. Levin) submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States limiting the pardon power of the President.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:
“Article—
“Section 1. The President shall not have the power to grant pardons and reprieves to—
“(1) the President’s self;
“(2) any person, up to a third degree relation, of the President, or a spouse thereof;
“(3) any current or former member of the President’s administration;
“(4) any person who worked on the President’s presidential campaign as a paid employee;
“(5) any person or entity for an offense that was motivated by a direct and significant personal or pecuniary interest of any of the foregoing persons; or
“(6) any person or entity for an offense that was at the direction of, or in coordination with, the President. “‘Any pardon issued for a corrupt purpose shall be invalid. ’. “Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”. <all>
Comments