Lawmakers introduce resolution rebuking Trump’s claims of power over governors

Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Justin Amash (I-Mich.) introduced a one-sentence resolution on Tuesday pushing back on President Trump’s claims that he has total authority over when states can begin to ease the restrictions they put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When somebody’s president of the United States, the authority is total, and that’s the way it’s got to to be. It’s total. It’s total, and the governors know that,” Trump said at a press briefing at the White House on Monday.

The comments sparked bipartisan pushback. 

The resolution says “the House of Representatives affirms that when someone is the president of the United States, their authority is not total.”

“I introduced this one-sentence House resolution this morning, with @RepDeanPhillips and @justinamash. We can only pass things with unanimous consent these days, so I’m curious if anyone will object,” Malinowski tweeted on Tuesday. 

I introduced this one-sentence House resolution this morning, with @RepDeanPhillips and @justinamash.

We can only pass things with unanimous consent these days, so I’m curious if anyone will object. pic.twitter.com/2MQKSAgIaQ

— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) April 14, 2020

Amash blasted Trump’s comments shortly after the remarks were made, going as far as tweeting that he is looking “closely” at launching a third-party presidential bid against Trump and that “Americans who believe in limited government deserve another option.”