Friend,
The U.S. Senate is about to make it nearly impossible for regular people to challenge illegal government actions in court.
Buried in the Senate Republicans’ budget bill is a dangerous provision that would force people to pay massive sums – potentially millions (or even billions) of dollars – before a judge could even consider temporarily blocking a harmful or unlawful government policy.
If this becomes law, most people won’t be able to afford their day in court. Public interest groups, civil rights organizations, and everyday Americans would be shut out – while the Trump regime gets a free pass to do more damage unchecked.
This isn’t just wrong. It’s unconstitutional. And it must be stopped.
Legal experts across the political spectrum, including prominent conservative scholars, are warning that this provision would gut access to justice and strip the courts of their ability to protect our rights.[1] It’s one of the most extreme assaults on the legal system we’ve seen in years.
Tell the Senate: strip this provision from the budget immediately! >>
This is what a power grab looks like – quiet, calculated, and designed to lock the courthouse doors before anyone can stop them. We can’t let the GOP get away with it.
The right to hold the government accountable in court shouldn’t come with a price tag. Let’s stop this before it becomes law.
Thank you for your advocacy.
Zach VanHouten
People For the American Way
[1] "GOP Senate Version of the Big Beautiful Bill Includes an Ugly Attack on Courts' Ability to Protect Constitutional Rights" Reason, 6/14/25
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Friend,
While the nation rightly turns its attention to the protests taking place in Los Angeles and across the country in response to the Trump regime’s brutal immigration crackdown, Senate Republicans are quietly working to make an already dangerous situation even worse.
Earlier this year, the House passed a terrible provision in their budget bill to limit federal courts’ ability to enforce injunctions – limiting their ability to do anything if and when the Trump regime violates a court order. Now the Senate has introduced a different provision – and it’s even more dangerous.
Their version would force people to pay HUGE sums of money – millions or even billions of dollars – before a court could temporarily block an illegal federal policy.[1]
If this provision becomes law, everyday people, families, and public interest groups would be priced out of the courtroom. They wouldn’t be able to get urgent legal protection – even if the Trump regime is causing serious harm – unless they could pay a bond big enough to cover the government’s supposed “costs.”
Sign the petition: Tell the Senate to strip this ‘pay-to-sue’ provision from the budget! >>
As bad as the House provision was, this is arguably even worse. It's a calculated effort to keep courts from doing their job – and to prevent people from stopping unlawful actions in real time.
In Trump’s second term, federal courts have remained one of the only effective checks on government overreach and unlawful actions. Many of those challenges begin with a request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction – tools that allow judges to prevent serious harm while a case moves through the courts.
This provision would take those tools away by making it completely unaffordable to seek meaningful relief from a federal court. If a judge can’t act fast, and people can’t afford to pursue a case, the damage will be done before anyone can stop it.
Tell the Senate: No paywall on justice. Remove this provision now. >>
This isn’t how a democracy works. And this isn’t how our legal system is supposed to function. But this is exactly how the Trump regime and its MAGA allies operate: change the rules, shut down opposition, and shield themselves from accountability.
Thanks for speaking out,
– People For the American Way
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Source:
[1] "Senate GOP Strips Contempt Provision From Tax Bill — But Still Lets Trump Be King" HuffPost, 6/13/25
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