1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The PEPPER Act represents a dangerous overreach that would severely undermine the system of checks and balances and grant near-total legal immunity to the president and executive branch officials. Upending over 200 years of constitutional governance by allowing the executive to operate without accountability would deal a grievous blow to our democratic values and the principle that no one is above the law. For the sake of protecting our democracy and the rule of law, this legislation must be firmly rejected. The overly broad immunities granted by the PEPPER Act, combined with the already expansive protections granted by the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. U.S., would essentially make the president and high-ranking officials completely immune from legal consequences for their actions. This unfettered impunity creates an environment ripe for abuse of power and unchecked misconduct. Our system of government depends on mechanisms to hold leaders accountable and prevent corruption. Moreover, the PEPPER Act's asymmetry in shielding only the current administration and Republican officials from prosecution while still enabling potential political retribution against prior administrations is a transparent violation of democratic norms. Laws must be applied evenhandedly without regard to partisanship. Enshrining a de facto monarchy governed by the whims of a virtually unrestrained executive runs directly counter to the founding vision of democratic self-governance and equal justice under the law. For these reasons, the PEPPER Act poses an existential threat to the health of America's democratic institutions and democratic accountability that simply cannot be tolerated. Its passage would constitute a severe dereliction of Congress' constitutional obligation as a co-equal branch to serve as a check on the executive. This affront to the Constitution must be soundly rejected.