William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

Presidential power today 445

Aside from legislation, the only option for members of Congress to overturn a

president’s unilateral action is to take the president to court (probably all the way to the

Supreme Court) to demonstrate that he or she has overstepped his or her authority. In

the case of the Trump administration’s travel ban barring people from six countries

with large Muslim populations from entering the United States, some members of

Congress were involved in court cases intended to suspend or reverse the ban. The

problem with pursuing this option is the time required for judicial proceedings—and

the fact that the courts may uphold the president’s right to act unilaterally. A later

version of the ban was upheld by the Supreme Court in June 2018. But policies that

contradict congressional intent may in fact be completely constitutional.

President Trump’s closeness to

Russian president Vladimir Putin has

led to speculation about the nature

of their relationship. After President

Trump refused to agree that Russians

actually interfered in the 2016 election,

Congress enacted a Russia sanctions

bill. This is an example of members

of Congress undoing a president’s

unilateral action by enacting a law to

overturn it.

Protesters from the Council on

American-Islamic Relations stand

outside of the Supreme Court as

they hear arguments about whether

President Trump’s travel ban on

travelers from six mostly Muslim

countries violates immigration laws

or the Constitution.

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