Sen. Jeff Merkley unveiled a sweeping legislative plan to reassert congressional power over the executive branch, building on his marathon 2025 speech which accused President Donald Trump of abusing his office.
“This is a president trying to become a strongman authoritarian,” Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, said on the latest episode of the On NOTUS podcast. “If we don’t repair the Constitution, we don’t have a republic.”
Merkley’s 10-point “For Our Republic Act” would insulate inspectors general and nonpartisan civil service from interference without the consent of Congress, ban recissions from congressionally appropriated funds and extend bribery and ethics statutes to the president and vice president.
It would also ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using biometric surveillance technologies and remove immigration judges from the purview of the attorney general.
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While the act targets specific actions linked to Trump, Merkley said it is important to prevent future presidents of either party from having the power to undertake similar actions.
“If we don’t address them, another president in the future may say, ‘Hey, there is a pattern for a strongman and I want to do what I want to do, regardless of the laws,’” Merkley said. “We’ve got to say no, that path is no longer available.”
Merkley said he does not expect to pick up any Republican support in this Congress but would support reforming the filibuster to ease its passage.
“We should use every power, including, I would argue, a talking filibuster reform here in the Senate, to be able to have a big debate in front of the public, but eventually get to the possibility of passing laws, even if there is extensive Republican obstruction,” Merkley said.
Weighing in on the debate inside his party playing out in recent political contests, Merkley said Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan was a “good result,” and praised El-Sayed’s economic messaging.
“Understand the reason he caught fire is he said, ‘Look, billionaires are running this country,’” Merkley said. “He’s going to take it to the people of Michigan and they’re going to decide who’s going to represent them. And I sure as hell hope they choose someone to represent them that is willing to fight for families instead of being a pawn for corporations.”
With a growing number of socialists expected to join the House Democratic Caucus after the midterms, Merkley said the moniker is a “charged term” that is divorced from actual policy, and that labels often do more harm than good.
“I don’t know that there is a difference, and that’s why the labels are so dangerous,” Merkley said. “I was asked in a debate, ‘Are you calling yourself a progressive?’ I said, ‘Call me anything you want. Here’s what I stand for.’”
Merkley is set to become the chair of the Senate Budget Committee if Democrats win a majority in November, and said his priority would be controlling debt caused by the Trump administration.
“We are running a 6% of GDP structural deficit that is creating a vortex of debt that will undermine our ability to invest in families and infrastructure,” Merkley said.
On NOTUS is a weekly podcast where NOTUS reporters talk to lawmakers about their work in Washington and what motivates them. You can download or listen here.
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