In a notable break with his party, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has become the first House Republican to support a Democrat-led proposal aimed at limiting the president’s pardon authority — a move prompted by President Donald Trump’s latest round of controversial pardons.
Bacon signed onto legislation introduced by Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.) that would create a formal congressional review process for presidential pardons through a constitutional amendment.
The effort follows President Trump’s decision to pardon five former NFL players convicted of crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking and counterfeiting.
“Across multiple administrations, we’ve seen legitimate questions raised about how this authority has been used at the same time, the ability of Congress to provide oversight has weakened,” Bacon said in a statement. “Frankly, it is clear to me the pardon authority has been abused.”
While Bacon did not mention Trump by name, Olszewski made clear that the current administration’s actions were the driving force behind the proposal.
“The announcement follows the Trump Administration’s decision earlier this week to pardon five former NFL players whose charges ranged from perjury to drug trafficking,” Olszewski said in a press release announcing Bacon’s support on Monday.
“The pardons are part of what Olszewski describes as a disturbing pattern of abuses of the presidential pardon power benefiting the wealthy and well-connected.”
Under the proposed amendment, Congress could initiate a review of a presidential pardon if at least 20 House members and five senators formally request it. The review would culminate in a vote to nullify the pardon, requiring a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to succeed.
If Congress votes to overturn a pardon, the president would be barred from issuing that same pardon to the same individual again.
The proposal faces steep constitutional hurdles, as amendments require broad bipartisan support in Congress and ratification by the states. But Bacon’s endorsement marks a significant development: the first Republican lawmaker publicly backing a structural check on presidential clemency power during Trump’s tenure.
