House passes sweeping new attack on judges

Hidden in Trump's 1,116-page mega-bill is a sneak attack on judges that could give Trump the power to break the law with impunity.

Harris -- We're resending this urgent email from earlier in the week to make sure you didn't miss it. -- Demand Progress Harris, The only branch of government that has stood in the way of Donald Trump's unconstitutional rampage has been the federal courts. But buried deep in the 1,116-page mega-bill passed by the House of Representatives last week is a provision that would block federal judges from enforcing rulings against Trump's illegal executive actions.1 If passed by the Senate, dozens of federal court orders would be instantly invalidated, and Trump would have a green light to violate the law with impunity.2 Demand Progress has mobilized tens of thousands of people to speak out against Trump's assault on the judiciary, and now we must ramp up our efforts. Will you donate $20 to support our work, including our efforts to stop Trump's attacks on the federal courts? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately. Donate $20 Donate $40 Donate $75 Or, donate another amount The sneak attack on the judiciary hidden in Trump's so-called "One Beautiful Bill Act" bars federal judges in most cases from holding officials in contempt if they refuse to comply with a court order.3 Contempt citations can result in financial penalties or even jail time for those violating the court order. They are one of the most important tools that federal judges have to enforce their rulings. If this authority is taken away, Trump will be unleashed to do his worst with no fear of federal judges holding him or his minions accountable. And it was snuck in so quietly that even some Republicans who voted for the bill are admitting they didn't know it was there.4 This new attack comes on the heels of House Republicans passing the "No Rogue Rulings Act," which would go even further by stripping federal district judges from issuing nationwide injunctions against Trump's illegal actions in the first place.5 It's all part of Trump's sweeping authoritarian power grab, and Republicans will not stop until there is nothing left to stand in his way. Demand Progress is sounding the alarm and flooding Capitol Hill with petition signatures, and we're counting on your help to ensure that we have the resources we need to win. Will you donate $20 to help support our work, including our efforts to stop Trump's attack on the federal judiciary? With gratitude, The team at Demand Progress Action DONATE Sources: 1. Campaign Legal Center, "These Hidden Provisions in the Budget Bill Undermine Our Democracy," May 22, 2025. 2. The New York Times, "Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump's Agenda," updated June 3, 2025. 3. Reuters, "Trump's sweeping tax-cut bill includes provision to weaken court powers," May 30, 2025. 4. MSNBC, "Republican admits he voted for the GOP megabill, though key elements were 'unknown' to him," May 28, 2025. 5. NBC News, "House votes to rein in federal judges amid Trump's attacks on the courts," April 9, 2025. Contributions to ActBlue Civics and Demand Progress Action are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Instagram or Twitter. Receiving too many emails from Demand Progress? You can opt to pause emails from Demand Progress for a month. And of course you can unsubscribe from this list at any time.