1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I am strongly opposed to H.R. 1526, the No Rogue Rulings Act (“NORRA”). If passed, NORRA would destabilize the checks and balances built into our constitutional system, putting the freedom of every American at risk. NORRA would sharply limit federal district courts’ ability to do their jobs and issue nationwide injunctions against unlawful actions. By design, it would prevent federal district courts from effectively blocking illegal actions, including actions by this administration. But when an unlawful federal government action hurts people across the country, it is important to be able to take timely action to stop that action nationwide. Although the bill would apply to actions of any president regardless of party, it is no coincidence that Trump’s supporters are strongly pushing the bill now. Trump is engaging in an aggressive, multi-faceted authoritarian assault on the pillars of our democracy. It is fundamental to our system of checks & balances that our federal courts are at the forefront of defending the tenets of our democracy and they are responsible for holding strong against unconstitutional, unlawful, & increasingly autocratic actions to take away our freedom. The timing and false sense of urgency of this bill reveals the political motivations behind it. Across the country, in a wide variety of contexts, district court judges nominated by presidents of both major political parties are doing their job. They are, at least temporarily, pausing illegal federal government actions while litigation proceeds. That is how courts are supposed to work. Nationwide injunctions do not discriminate on the basis of party or ideology. Conservatives have sought and obtained nationwide injunctions against progressive administrations in the past, and vice-versa. Many of the signatories to this letter have strongly condemned or praised these judicial actions over the years, but we have done so on the basis of the legal issues in each case. It is impossible to ignore the larger context in which NORRA is being pushed. Many Trump’s supporters believe he can simply ignore court orders he disagrees with. Many executive nominees have shamefully refused to say that Trump must obey court orders. There are other attacks on the courts & individual judges, for doing their jobs. Trump & his supporters are pushing to impeach district court judges who rule against Trump. 6 judges have been targeted so far. It is unacceptable that their judicial decisions are being cast as “high crimes and misdemeanors.” This frontal assault on the independence of our courts is part of the larger attack on our democracy and our freedom. The framers of our Constitution established a judicial branch as part of the checks & balances essential to protecting our liberty. This political attempt to restrain & block our federal courts from doing their jobs in this manner must be rejected. I urge you to oppose NORRA.