MODEL BILLS

Resolution in Support of Democracy

Summary: Prior to U.S. Independence, cities and towns adopted resolutions of condemnation against the abuses and usurpations of King George III. This Resolution is directed instead at the abuses and usurpations of Donald Trump.

Background: This is a tactic recommended by political consultant Simon Rosenberg on his very useful Hopium website. Model based on a City of Boston resolution.

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF DEMOCRACY AND CALLING FOR A RETURN TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF THIS REPUBLIC

WHEREAS, City of [NAME] and the [NAME] City Council take pride in the principles of the American Revolution, for democracy and against monarchy or authoritarianism; and

WHEREAS, The Constitution of [STATE] adopted the principles of: separation of powers, checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and rights of the individual, provisions that protect individuals against state power; and

WHEREAS, One of the foundational pillars of our democracy is the separation of powers embodied within the Constitutional framework. As James Madison wrote in Federalist Paper No. 47, “The accumulation of all powers legislative, executive and judiciary in the same hands, whether of one, a few or many, and whether hereditary, self appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny”; and

WHEREAS, In just the first six months of his second term, however, President Trump and his appointees have shown a blatant disregard for the separation of powers by disobeying court rulings, attempting to overturn birthright citizenship, denying foundational civil liberties such as habeas corpus, withholding Congressionally-approved funds, closing Congressionally-created departments and agencies, unilaterally imposing tariffs, deploying the U.S. military on U.S. soil against our own residents, and, most recently, launching military strikes without the consent or consultation of Congress in violation of the Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Act; and

WHEREAS, President Trump and his appointees have publicly stated and shown that they are targeting residents through aggressive immigration enforcement under the false pretense that [CITY] is unsafe due to the mere presence of immigrants, terminating Temporary Protected Status of our immigrant populations, withholding funds from and attempting institution-wide censorship of world-renowned educational, healthcare and scientific institutions, threatening military interventions to interrupt activities that are plainly protected free speech under the Constitution, rescinding protections for members of our LGBTQ+ community, harming our college graduates by creating obstacles to student loan forgiveness, and cutting veterans’ healthcare and employment services; and

WHEREAS, The Supreme Court and Congress have generally acquiesced to President Trump’s abuse of powers, including recent Supreme Court decisions holding that President Trump is “absolutely immune from criminal prosecution for conduct within his exclusive sphere of constitutional authority” [Trump v. United States, No. 23-939 (U.S. July 1, 2024)]; that the courts lack the authority to issue nationwide injunctions to block “blatantly unconstitutional” orders like President Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship [Trump v. CASA, Inc., No. 24-884 (U.S. June 27, 2025)]; and allowed President Trump to end the Temporary Protected Status of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans without court review [Noem v. National TPS Alliance, 24-1059 (U.S. May, 19, 2025); Noem v. Doe, No. 24-1079 (U.S. May 30, 2025)]; while Congressional Republicans rejected a war powers resolution that would have let Congress decide if President Trump could strike Iran again, have declined to assert Congress’s constitutional authority over spending or tariffs, and passed a budget bill that cuts taxes for the wealthy and increases funding for ICE while cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance, and clean energy programs, despite widespread popular opposition; and

WHEREAS, The actions of President Trump and his administration have led other major cities like Philadelphia to pass resolutions calling for an end to behavior that resembles that of a monarch and tramples upon the founding principles of our Constitution; and

WHEREAS, The people of [CITY] have shown repeatedly through protests and rallies large and small, in the City’s center, in neighborhoods, in elderly communities, and elsewhere, that we expect democracy, respect the Constitution, and are willing to stand up for both; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED: That the City Council urges the [state legislative delegation] to push their Congressional colleagues to exercise their legislative authority to enforce the Constitution, to work with the Judicial Branch to restore the separation of powers, to ensure that illegal or unconstitutional acts, including acts of corruption, are overturned, and to demonstrate in all actions that the United States of America has no king.