Congress May Cut Judicial Budgets to Rein In Activist Judges, Says Jim Jordan
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is warning Congress may soon use the appropriations process to punish wayward federal judges who ignore the Supreme Court’s precedents, especially when it comes to issuing injunctions that block Trump administration policies.
“There may be ways we can use the power of the purse, which is, again, what the founders thought, that was the biggest power that the legislative branch had relative to the others,” Jordan said Monday night on the Just the News, No Noise TV show. “So I think we’re looking at that process as it unfolds here over the next three months.”
This fight comes as no surprise. The latest example of judicial defiance came from a federal judge in Boston appointed by former President Barack Obama. This judge, Indira Talwani, single-handedly blocked a Trump administration policy that would have defunded the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
Her ruling came just weeks after the Supreme Court specifically voted to limit the power of lower court judges to issue these kinds of sweeping orders. President Trump rightly celebrated that Supreme Court decision as a “GIANT WIN,” but activist judges are clearly not listening.
So, what can be done? According to Jordan, the solution is simple: hit them in their budget. He made it clear that Congress would never touch funds for security, especially with the threats made against justices like Brett Kavanaugh.
Instead, Jordan is looking at other parts of the judicial budget. “The Judicial Conference just asked for a big, big raise in their budget,” he noted. “I think we need to take a look at that and decide.” Denying pay raises and lavish budget increases would send a powerful message that ignoring the Constitution has consequences.
For too long, Americans have watched helplessly as judges make law from the bench. Thanks to fighters like Jim Jordan, Congress is finally remembering its power to restore balance. The fight to drain the judicial swamp is just getting started.
“There may be ways we can use the power of the purse, which is, again, what the founders thought, that was the biggest power that the legislative branch had relative to the others,” Jordan said Monday night on the Just the News, No Noise TV show. “So I think we’re looking at that process as it unfolds here over the next three months.”
This fight comes as no surprise. The latest example of judicial defiance came from a federal judge in Boston appointed by former President Barack Obama. This judge, Indira Talwani, single-handedly blocked a Trump administration policy that would have defunded the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
Her ruling came just weeks after the Supreme Court specifically voted to limit the power of lower court judges to issue these kinds of sweeping orders. President Trump rightly celebrated that Supreme Court decision as a “GIANT WIN,” but activist judges are clearly not listening.
So, what can be done? According to Jordan, the solution is simple: hit them in their budget. He made it clear that Congress would never touch funds for security, especially with the threats made against justices like Brett Kavanaugh.
Instead, Jordan is looking at other parts of the judicial budget. “The Judicial Conference just asked for a big, big raise in their budget,” he noted. “I think we need to take a look at that and decide.” Denying pay raises and lavish budget increases would send a powerful message that ignoring the Constitution has consequences.
For too long, Americans have watched helplessly as judges make law from the bench. Thanks to fighters like Jim Jordan, Congress is finally remembering its power to restore balance. The fight to drain the judicial swamp is just getting started.
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