[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12296]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN PRESIDENTS FROM PARDONING THEMSELVES

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                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2017

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, today, I joined as an original cosponsor of 
the Constitutional Amendment of Al Green of Texas. That Amendment 
states that a President may not pardon him or herself for violations of 
United States law.
  I believe that the Amendment is likely unnecessary. I believe that 
the Supreme Court, in construing the existing Constitution, would reach 
the conclusion that the President's power to pardon does not include 
the power to pardon the President.
  However it is always useful to provide a clarification of a meaning 
of a statute, or even a Constitutional provision, whenever any doubt 
its meaning or construction.
  I doubt that the amendment could be adopted and ratified with 
sufficient speed to prevent the current President from pardoning 
himself. I believe the adoption of the amendment could still be useful 
in providing a clarification should this issue arise in future 
presidencies.

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