WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in unveiling the For Our Republic Act, a comprehensive legislative package to fight back against President Trump’s aggressive authoritarian takeover of American democracy. Among many priorities, the new legislation includes Senator Duckworth’s Inspectors General Independence Act, which would prevent Donald Trump and future Presidents from appointing their own political allies to serve in the Administration’s “independent” watchdog roles. In addition to Duckworth’s legislation, the For Our Republic Act also includes provisions to protect nonpartisan civil servants, reassert Congress’ power of the purse, fight government corruption, strengthen free speech and civil liberties and safeguard free and fair elections.
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“In a clear conflict of interest and gross abuse of power, Trump fired 17 Inspectors General within his first days in office so he could tap political allies to conduct oversight of his own Administration—leaving these watchdogs to answer to the President before the American people,” said Duckworth. “First and foremost, Senate Democrats’ For Our Republic Act includes my legislation that would prevent stone-cold corruption like this, which have too often become the norm in the Trump Administration. It’s clear that the current checks on the President are not enough, and our legislation would not only help us restore good government—it will also empower Congress to prevent any more wanna-be kings from bending our Republic to its breaking point.”
“Authoritarianism isn’t down the street or around the corner—it is here right now,” said Merkley. “We have all three ingredients of a strongman state in the United States: a rubber-stamp Congress doing the President’s bidding; a deferential Supreme Court finding ‘invisible ink’ in the Constitution to enhance the President’s powers; and a power-hungry President behaving like a king, breaking the law and violating the checks and balances of our Constitution. “The For Our Republic Act lays out a clear roadmap of the actions Congress can take to fight back against Trump’s authoritarian takeover and reassert our authority. Together, let’s fight back and save our republic!”
“Donald Trump has led a brazen, unprecedented campaign of corruption—growing his power while ignoring the needs of the American people,” said Blumenthal. “The For Our Republic Act installs critical guardrails against Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy, promoting government transparency and accountability while preserving Americans’ rights and liberties. This legislation fights against Trump’s slide towards tyranny and protects our country’s democratic values.”
In addition to Duckworth’s Inspectors General Independence Act, the For Our Republic Act includes new provisions to counter the rise of authoritarianism and erosion of our democratic government under the second Trump Administration, as well as other existing legislation from Merkley and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
The For Our Republic Act outlines ten principles to protect our democracy:
- Defend the Referees
- Protect the Independent, Non-Partisan Civil Service
- Celebrate One Nation, Indivisible
- Reaffirm Equal Justice Under Law
- Strengthen Free Speech
- Reassert Congress’ Power of the Purse
- Fight Government Corruption
- Ensure Liberty and Justice for All
- Prevent Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets
- Safeguard Free and Fair Elections
A detailed outline of the For Our Republic Act can be found by on Senator Merkley’s website.
The For Our Republic Act is supported by Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Refugees International and Common Cause.
Full text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
Duckworth has been a leading voice pushing back against the Trump Administration’s erosion of government watchdog independence. In May, she called on Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) Cheryl Mason to follow the law and designate a lead Inspector General (IG) to conduct comprehensive oversight over all aspects of Operation Epic Fury and the Trump Administration’s ongoing military operations against Iran.
In February, the Senator called out then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for making thinly veiled threats to invoke a never-used authority that could prevent or stop any DHS Office of Inspector General investigation. In January, Duckworth introduced her Inspectors General Independence Actto root out conflicts of interest within our IGs that could undermine their responsibility to root out government waste, fraud and abuse within the Executive Branch.
