First Republican to Back Bill Blocking Presidential Pardons

By Mark Swanson | Monday, February 16, 2026

A proposed constitutional amendment granting Congress the authority to block presidential pardons has secured its first Republican co-sponsor Monday when Nebraska Representative Don Bacon joined the effort.

Maryland Representative Johnny Olszewski, who leads the initiative, announced that Bacon has become the first Republican to co-sponsor the “Pardon Integrity Act.”

The amendment would establish a mechanism allowing 20 members of the House and five senators to compel a vote to void a presidential pardon. Blocking such a pardon would require a two-thirds majority in each chamber.

The proposal comes after President Donald Trump issued a series of high-profile pardons and commutations during his second term, including thousands of January 6 Capitol riot defendants charged with assaults on law enforcement.

Since then, the president has granted clemency to Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, former Representative George Santos of New York, Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and cryptocurrency executive Changpeng “CZ” Zhao. Most recently, Trump pardoned five former NFL players convicted of financial and drug-related crimes.

Olszewski described the amendment as a safeguard on executive authority: “This amendment creates a narrow, commonsense check to ensure the pardon power is used fairly and responsibly — regardless of who occupies the White House,” he said. “Presidential pardons are an important constitutional authority, but like all powers held by the executive branch, these authorities benefit from the appropriate checks and balances the Constitution envisioned.”

Olszewski added: “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.”

The retiring Republican stated: “Frankly, it is clear to me the pardon authority has been abused. I’m pleased to co-sponsor Rep. Olszewski’s Pardon Integrity Act, a constitutional amendment that establishes a narrow, commonsense guardrail.”

Advocates note that passing a constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support in both chambers of Congress and ratification by 38 states, making the measure unlikely to succeed.

Bacon has previously broken with Trump over continued U.S. aid to Ukraine and foreign policy, drawing criticism from the president who has questioned Bacon’s loyalty and standing within the GOP. Bacon was also one of six House Republicans who voted in favor of repealing the president’s tariffs on Canada earlier this month.