# Plain Language Summary: Presidential Pardon Limits Amendment

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would restrict the President's power to pardon people. Right now, the President has pretty broad authority to forgive federal crimes through pardons, with almost no legal limits. This amendment would change that by creating specific categories of people the President cannot pardon.

Under this proposal, a President could not pardon themselves, their family members (up to cousins), their spouse, anyone who worked in their administration, or anyone they paid to work on their campaign. The amendment also prevents pardons for crimes that were motivated by the President's personal or financial interests, or crimes that the President directed or coordinated. There's also a catch-all provision that says any pardon issued for corrupt reasons would be invalid anyway.

The practical effect would be to prevent a President from using the pardon power to protect themselves, their inner circle, or people connected to them personally or politically. For example, a President couldn't pardon a family member convicted of a crime, or someone from their campaign staff, or themselves if they faced criminal charges. This is a significant change because historically, Presidents have had almost unlimited pardon authority. However, this is just a proposed amendment—it would need to pass Congress and then be ratified by three-fourths of all state legislatures to actually become part of the Constitution, which is a very high bar to clear.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States limiting the pardon power of the President.

Cohen, Steve

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting the pardon power of the President.The amendment prohibits the President from granting a pardon or reprieve to himself or herself, to relatives or members of the administration, to paid campaign employees, to a person or entity for an offense motivated by an interest of any of those people, or to a person or entity for an offense directed by or coordinated with the President.The amendment also invalidates pardons issued for a corrupt purpose.