Joe Biden has shown that his mendacity has no limits and made a fool of his supporters by pardoning his son after repeatedly saying he wouldn’t.  There is now an opportunity for the Republicans and the nation to move on what should be a bipartisan effort to severely curtail the president’s pardon power.

The Republicans’ new branding as the party of the working man should fit well with reforming the pardon power.  Let the Democrats defend it.  Let the Democrats continue to be known as the party of the elite, the connected, the corrupt, and the rich, who can afford expensive lawyers.

The presidential pardon power is listed in the Constitution, so any modification would probably require a constitutional amendment. 

I believe in mercy, and I believe in redemption, but the current use of the presidential pardon is one more example of Washington insiders playing by one set of rules and the rest of the country having to fend for themselves.

I don’t believe that the pardon should be abandoned, but the following reforms could be enacted.

The Congress, by a vote of two thirds in each chamber, could void any pardon.

The president cannot pardon himself or any member of his immediate family.

Any pardon should take place between the months of February and September, and Congress must be in session.  This means that the president must risk paying a political price for any pardon he may propose.

The president may present Congress with only one individual pardon each day.  This would not only limit the number of pardons, but also prohibit presidents from changing criminal law completely by in effect changing the sentencing structures in place that they don’t like for certain types of crimes.

Also, the president may not pre-emptively pardon someone for something he may have done (the Hunter rule).  Any pardon must be after the person has been tried, convicted, and sentenced.

A republic ruled by laws and not men deserves to have this anachronistic presidential power reformed and brought into the 21st century.

Image via Pixabay.