GOP Rep Don Bacon Defies Party, Supports Pardon Override Amendment
Rep. Don Bacon has become the first House Republican to co-sponsor a constitutional amendment allowing Congress to override presidential pardons, a rare bipartisan move that reopens debate over executive clemency powers.
The proposal raises direct tension over whether lawmakers should have authority to nullify pardons — a power historically reserved solely for the president.
Authored by Rep. Johnny Olszewski, the amendment would allow 20 House members and five senators to trigger a formal review of any presidential pardon. Congress would then have 60 days to overturn the pardon with a two-thirds vote in both chambers, according to the legislative text filed in the House.
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Bacon confirmed his support in a public statement, arguing the pardon authority has been used in ways that weaken trust in government, though the amendment faces immediate structural hurdles.
“It’s time Congress has an effective voice in how pardon power is exercised,” Bacon said.
The amendment arrives after several controversial pardons in recent years — including actions taken by President Donald Trump — that drew bipartisan scrutiny and renewed calls for reform.
Still, the proposal faces steep odds. Constitutional amendments require two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate, followed by ratification from at least 38 state legislatures.
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As of the latest congressional filings, Bacon remains the only Republican co-sponsor, no Senate companion amendment has advanced, and no committee markup has been scheduled.
What happens next will depend on whether additional Republicans join the measure and whether House leadership allows it to move through committee.
For now, the amendment marks an early but notable test of bipartisan appetite for checking presidential clemency power.
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