Congresswoman Nikema Williams Leads Coalition of House Democrats Demands President Trump Comply with Court Orders
(WASHINGTON) – On Tuesday, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), along with Representatives Kevin Mullin (CA-15) and Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), led a Democratic coalition of U.S. Representatives committed to strengthening American democracy and introduced a resolution to hold the President accountable for ignoring the power of the Judicial Branch.
The Trump Administration’s unconstitutional actions are undermining the nation’s foundational system of checks and balances, impacting the safety and security of all Americans. For example, unelected billionaire Elon Musk was recently granted access to the Treasury Department’s payment records. This move exposes hardworking Americans’ bank account information to a team of unvetted DOGE employees who lack security clearances and congressional oversight. Social Security is the backbone of the American workforce. Constituents in both red states and blue states have spent their entire lives paying into this system on the understanding that it is safe and secure.
On Feb. 21, 2025, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted a preliminary injunction barring the Treasury Department from granting any member of the DOGE team access to data systems maintained by the Treasury Department, but the Administration has so far ignored this court order. This is just one of the many court orders – and President Trump’s refusal to comply with the law – highlighted in the resolution. Today’s resolution makes it clear that the Trump Administration is putting the rule of law and the separation of powers established in the Constitution at grave risk.
Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) said:
“Donald Trump has made it clear he thinks he’s above the law and the Constitution. That’s not how it works. His blatant disregard for court orders is just another example of his abuse of power, and we won’t stand by while he tramples on the rule of law. Introducing this resolution alongside my colleagues Rep. Mullin and Rep. Ramirez is about more than one man’s corruption. It’s about protecting the people and preserving our democracy,”
“The first 42 days of Donald Trump’s presidency have been pure chaos. The President continues to ignore the will of the American people, while ramming through a flurry of unconstitutional actions that only benefit the wealthiest Americans,” said Rep. Kevin Mullin. “My colleagues and I remain committed to lowering costs, making our communities safer, defending fundamental freedoms, and strengthening American democracy. Sadly, House Republicans refuse to challenge Trump’s unconstitutional actions, only fueling the President’s authoritarian behavior and ignoring the problems that they were sent here to solve by the American people.”
“In this country, we don’t bow to kings or bend a knee to dictators. The elected president of our nation has the obligation to respect our constitution, our democratic institutions, and to honor our system of checks and balances,” said Rep. Delia C. Ramirez. “I am proud to introduce this resolution today along with my colleagues, Rep. Mullin and Rep. Williams, to remind the Musk-Trump administration that they are accountable to our democracy and our people. It is also an opportunity for my colleagues in Congress to uphold the oath they took and take a stand against abuses of power.”
Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Public Citizen have endorsed the resolution and provided the following statements in support:
“An independent judiciary is critically important to ensure that all Americans can have impartial access to our justice system. However, when an administration ignores court orders and the rule of law, we risk going down a slippery slope in which future administrations are emboldened to put themselves above the law,” said Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause. “Common Cause appreciates Representatives Nikema Williams, Delia Ramirez, and Kevin Mullin for introducing this resolution, and we strongly encourage all members of Congress to urge this administration to fully comply with court decisions because no American is above the law.”
“Under our system of checks and balances, it is the president’s constitutional responsibility to ensure that our nation’s laws are faithfully executed,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “This resolution both reasserts this foundational principle and affirms the unmistakable consequences of our constitutional structure that once our courts fulfill their duties, the executive must fulfill theirs. In a time when high-level officials have indicated that court orders are merely advisory, the judicial branch must be prepared to use the full scope of its inherent, constitutional and statutory powers to respond. CREW applauds Reps. Mullin, Ramirez, and Williams for introducing this resolution and urges the House to pass it expeditiously.”
“American democracy is based on the concept of three coequal branches. This important legislation simply reaffirms the essential role of the judiciary in upholding checks and balances and makes crystal clear that Donald Trump and his administration must comply with the courts. No one is above the law, we do not have a king, and court orders must be followed. Public Citizen strongly supports this bill,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President, Public Citizen.
In addition to Reps. Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) and Nikema Williams (GA-05), the resolution was cosponsored by Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Darren Soto (FL-09), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Betty McCollum (MN-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Al Green (TX-09), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Jim Costa (CA-21).
Read the full resolution here.