(Haiyun Jiang | The New York Times) House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., left, looks on as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters upon his arrival at the Capitol on Tuesday morning, May 20, 2025. Trump is expected to join House Republicans at their weekly meeting at the Capitol as Johnson tries to shore up support for the GOP megabill to deliver the president’s agenda.
Do we really want a king?
This is what Americans will have in the office of president if the current Trump bill passes in the Senate. Why? Because it includes a provision intended to block the courts from using contempt to enforce its orders.
It reads: “No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued …”
According to Erwin Chemerinsky, professor at University of California Berkley School of Law, this provision would eliminate any restraint on Trump. He wrote, “Without the contempt power, judicial orders are meaningless and can be ignored. There is no way to understand this except as a way to keep the Trump administration from being restrained when it violates the Constitution or otherwise breaks the law…”
Isn’t this why our Founders decided to limit power to any one branch by the separation of powers between executive, judicial and legislative? Yes, this is why the Constitution provides these limits!
I’m notifying my Utah Senators of this immediate concern. Our Utah representatives need to protect our rights — yours and mine — to economic stability and honest transparent government. I hope others will take action too!
Sheila Smith, St. George
