A Republican lawmaker has become the first member of his party to support a Democrat-led effort to limit President Trump’s power to issue pardons. Rep. Don Bacon, a moderate Republican from Nebraska, has signed on to legislation introduced by Democratic Rep. Johnny Olszewski of Maryland. The bill aims to create a congressional review process for presidential pardons.
The move follows President Trump’s decision to pardon five former NFL players who were convicted on serious charges, including drug trafficking, perjury, and counterfeiting. According to Fox News, those pardons appear to have been a key reason Bacon decided to support the legislation.
Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, did not name Trump directly in his statement, but his words were clear. “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,” Bacon said. “Frankly, it is clear to me the pardon authority has been abused.”
Congress gaining real oversight power over presidential pardons would be a significant shift in executive accountability
Under the proposed amendment, the process would start when 20 House members and five senators call for a review of a specific pardon. That review would then lead to a vote to nullify it. To pass, the nullification would need a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. If Congress successfully nullifies a pardon, the president would be legally barred from issuing that same pardon to the same person again.
While Bacon framed the issue as one spanning multiple administrations, Rep. Olszewski pointed more directly at Trump. His press release cited the NFL pardons as a key trigger and described them as part of a “disturbing pattern of abuses of the presidential pardon power benefiting the wealthy and well-connected.”
Trump has faced scrutiny over several controversial actions, and what White House staffers said about Trump’s behavior has added to growing concerns about his conduct in office. The pardon power has drawn criticism beyond just the current administration.
Former President Joe Biden also faced backlash from both Republicans and some Democrats when he issued preemptive pardons for family members and allies, including his son Hunter Biden, shortly before leaving office.
Tensions around pardons have also shown up in other political settings. During a recent hearing, Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan told U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott that he “better hope” for a pardon from President Trump, showing how central the pardon issue has become in political disputes.
In a separate case, how a push to charge six Democratic lawmakers collapsed further highlights the increasingly charged atmosphere around legal and political battles in Washington. It is not entirely surprising that Bacon is the one crossing party lines here.
He has already announced he will not seek re-election in November, which gives him more freedom to act independently. He has shown that independence before, having voted with Democrats to end President Trump’s emergency declaration at the northern border. At the time, Bacon said, “It is time for Congress to make its voice heard on tariffs.” Now, he is applying that same thinking to the pardon power.
Published: Feb 17, 2026 01:45 pm