Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced the “No Kings Act,” a landmark piece of legislation aimed at removing immunity from federal criminal prosecution for U.S. presidents and vice presidents.
Introduced on Thursday, the No Kings Act asserts that U.S. presidents and vice presidents are not above the law and cannot claim immunity from federal criminal charges.
The bill draws upon several constitutional provisions, including the Necessary and Proper Clause of Article 1, Section 8, which grants Congress the authority to determine the applicability of U.S. criminal laws.
The proposed legislation argues that the framers of the Constitution intended to balance powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, explicitly contrasting the U.S. presidency with the absolute monarchy of Great Britain.
It posits that unlike a king, a U.S. president must be “amenable to personal punishment and disgrace” for unlawful actions.
The bill also addresses the issue of immunity for former presidents, stating that individuals like Donald Trump cannot claim immunity for actions taken while in office.
Furthermore, it proposes that the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over immunity questions be limited, with Congress directing lower courts to resolve these matters.
Schumer underscored the necessity of this legislation, noting that the “dangerous and consequential implications” of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Donald Trump v. United States—which granted Trump immunity for actions deemed as “official acts”—prompted the introduction of the No Kings Act.
As of Thursday, the bill has garnered support from 34 Senate Democrats.
