A proposed constitutional amendment that would give Congress the authority to block presidential pardons picked up its first Republican co-sponsor Monday, as Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska signed onto the measure.
Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., who is leading the effort, announced that Bacon has joined as the first GOP backer of what is being called the Pardon Integrity Act.
The amendment would establish a mechanism allowing 20 House members and five senators to force a vote to nullify a presidential pardon. Blocking a pardon would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress, Axios reported.
The proposal comes after President Donald Trump issued a series of high-profile pardons and commutations during his second term.
At the start of that term, Trump pardoned thousands of Jan. 6 defendants, including individuals charged in connection with assaults on law enforcement during the 2021 Capitol protest.
Since then, Trump has granted clemency or pardons to Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas; former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y.; Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson; Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht; former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich; and cryptocurrency executive Changpeng "CZ" Zhao.
Most recently, he pardoned five former NFL players convicted of financial and drug-related crimes.
Olszewski framed 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 in a statement.
Bacon echoed that rationale.
"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," he said. "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 added: "Frankly, it is clear to me the pardon authority has been abused.
"I'm pleased to cosponsor Rep. Olszewski's Pardon Integrity Act, a constitutional amendment that establishes a narrow, commonsense guardrail."
A constitutional amendment would require two-thirds support in both chambers of Congress and ratification by 38 states, making passage unlikely.
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 broke with Trump earlier this month to vote in favor of repealing the president's tariffs on Canada.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.