1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

In this troubling Supreme Court decision, the conservative majority has granted sweeping protections to presidents facing criminal charges for official acts, severely undermining democratic accountability and the rule of law. By erecting unjustified barriers to prosecuting lawbreaking presidents, the Court has left our system of checks and balances in tatters. This ruling poses a grave threat to the integrity of our elections and opens the door for losing candidates to more brazenly attempt to overturn legitimate results. With a president now essentially immune from prosecution for "official acts", even those involving grave crimes against democracy itself, we risk a profoundly destabilizing erosion of public faith in government and elections. To safeguard the foundations of our republic, Congress must act decisively. A constitutional amendment strictly delimiting the scope of presidential immunity and upholding the core democratic principle that no one is above the law would robustly reassert the framers' vision of accountability and representation. Absent such action, the Court's radical departure empowers a model of monarchical prerogative fundamentally at odds with our ideals as a free nation. The stakes could not be higher. Our ability to transfer power peacefully through free and fair elections is the bedrock of American democracy. This decision jeopardizes that sacred trust. An engaged and mobilized Congress is urgently needed to enshrine lasting protections for the will of the people.