John,

You’ve probably heard a lot lately about Congress’ new budget bill — but there’s one part that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention and is a total disregard for separation of powers.

In this massive bill, there’s a “hidden” provision that would restrict courts, including the Supreme Court, from enforcing contempt citations for violations of injunctions or temporary restraining orders. [1]

That’d effectively destroy the constitutional role they’ve served for over two centuries: being a check and balance on the rest of our government.

It would mean that if someone were to challenge any of Trump’s or his administration’s orders or actions — whether it be on issues like mass deportations or changing federal election rules — the courts wouldn’t be able to enforce compliance with their rulings if Trump or his administration were to defy orders. This stomps on our rights, the rule of law, and shows a total lack of respect for our democracy.

At Issue One, we’ve been sounding the alarm because our democracy won’t defend itself.

That’s why we’ve been mobilizing folks — like you — to let Congress know that we want them to stand up against executive overreach, to defend our Constitution, and fight for the best interests of the American people.

We’ve been putting together ads to urge Congress to do their jobs and ensure that our system of checks and balances remains intact. And we’ve been lifting up stories of the real people that are hurting because of decisions made by the Trump administration — and DOGE. [2]

And what we’re doing is making an impact. Just last week Sen. Collins — one of the members of Congress we’ve been working to move — spoke up and called for Congress to reclaim authority over agencies that fall under its domain. [3] She’s hearing from her constituents and pushing back.

But we need you to help us go further. With your help, we can hold days of action to speak with Congress directly; we can work to find more folks at the local level willing to share their stories; we can expand the reach of our ads; and so much more.

We need to keep up the pressure so that others in Congress hear us and begin to act. Now, we need them to continue to fight for the American people and the oath they swore to the Constitution.

There’s more work to be done, but we’re making a difference — and we can’t do it without you. Help us keep fighting to protect against executive overreach and ensure our elected leaders are doing their jobs and standing up for the American people.

Let’s defend our democracy together,
The Issue One Team

^{[1] https://www.newsweek.com/hidden-provision-trump-bill-court-2075769}

^{[2] https://www.adn.com/opinions/2025/05/26/opinion-murkowski-has-stood-up-to-trump-now-she-needs-to-help-others-find-courage/}

^{[3] https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/21/congress/congress-weighs-hiring-and-firing-power-00362928}