Early this year, I was tasked with leading the House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force, a clearinghouse to challenge the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional actions and defend the rule of law — and I’m proud that we’ve vindicated the constitution and the rights of the American people in eight cases so far, including lawsuits to protect consumers, stop chaotic tariffs, and oppose the dismantling of the Department of Education.
On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a reckless and misguided decision in a case concerning the administration’s unlawful attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship. The decision, as Justice Sotomayor correctly noted in her dissent — “renders constitutional guarantees meaningful in name only for individuals who are not parties to a lawsuit.” In so doing, the decision also eviscerates the principle of judicial economy, potentially forcing countless Americans to initiate litigation across the country to vindicate their constitutional rights.
But the legal fight — to preserve birthright citizenship, and to push back against unlawful executive orders, is far from over. The ruling did not address the merits of the birthright citizenship executive order — which countless courts have deemed unconstitutional. Nor does the decision foreclose universal injunctive relief via state lawsuits or class action proceedings. That is precisely why House Democrats participated in two pending lawsuits —initiated by the State of Washington and the State of New Jersey — to protect birthright citizenship. And it is why the Litigation Task Force will continue to do so in both cases, among many others, and use every legal tool at its disposal to vindicate our constitution and the rule of law.
On that front, linked below are the clips from the Judiciary Committee this past week where I questioned Congressman Jim Jordan and Congressman Darrell Issa on their efforts to limit the courts from enforcing contempt orders against the Trump Administration. For additional information on our work, visit litigationandresponse.house.gov.
