🛡️ Proposed Constitutional Amendment: The Executive Accountability & Ethics Amendment
1. Why This Amendment Matters
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Presidents have frequently taken costly weekend vacations at personal properties, costing taxpayers $10s of millions annually citizensforethics.org+10oversightdemocrats.house.gov+10npr.org+10
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Abuse of executive removal powers and misuse of executive orders have eroded democratic checks and balances justsecurity.org+4theguardian.com+4youtube.com+4
2. Draft Amendment Text
Section 1: Limit on Presidential Vacation & Travel
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President may take no more than two weeks’ vacation annually; weekend getaways only at Camp David, except during campaign travel in election years.
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Any travel to a President or spouse’s privately owned property is considered vacation; personal funds must cover all associated costs, including Secret Service expenses. No taxpayer funding allowed.
Section 2: Eliminate Conflicts of Interest
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President and Vice President must divest from all private businesses and foreign-registered companies before assuming office.
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Using presidency to benefit personal or family businesses is an impeachable offense.
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Secret Service accommodations at family-owned locations are at the owner’s expense.
Section 3: Prohibit Gifts from Foreign Entities
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No gifts or compensation from non-ally nations; any gift from foreign entity must be forwarded to the U.S. Treasury or Congress.
Section 4: Restrict Removal Powers
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President may remove only: (a) department heads, (b) White House staff, and (c) ambassadors with Senate approval.
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Cannot remove federal civil servants, IGs, or members of independent agencies without “good cause” established by statute.
Section 5: Limitations on Agency Shutdowns
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President cannot defund, dissolve, or shutter any executive agencies — only Congress holds the “power of the purse.”
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All grants and funding revocations must be legislated by Congress; unilateral presidential withholding is constitutionally invalid.
Section 6: Judicial Supremacy
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President must comply with all final rulings of the Supreme Court. Refusal to do so constitutes grounds for immediate arrest, removal, disqualification from future office, loss of benefits, and revocation of security clearance.
Section 7: Safeguards Against Executive Overreach
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President cannot deploy executive orders that contradict federal statutes without explicit Congressional approval via expedited special resolution (REINS Act model) natlawreview.comcato.org.
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Presidential travel must be transparently reported to Congress and made publicly available within 30 days.
Section 8: Emergency Oversight
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All national emergencies declared under the National Emergencies Act (NEA) must expire after 90 days unless reaffirmed by a joint resolution of Congress investopedia.comen.wikipedia.org.
3. Benefits & Governance Goals
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Restores public trust by protecting taxpayer dollars and ending private gain from public office
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Strengthens checks and balances, reaffirming Congress’s supremacy over agency oversight
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Ensures accountability via mandatory compliance with court rulings and transparency
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Prevents cronies and foreign influence through strict divestiture and gift limitations
4. Context & Support
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Government watchdogs (e.g. GAO, Oversight Democrats) have shown that Presidential hotel/resort travel cost taxpayers millions due to Secret Service and DOD expenses theguardian.com+1natlawreview.com+1politico.com+5protectdemocracy.org+5theguardian.com+5gao.gov+1investopedia.com+1
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Courts continue to curb unfettered removal power, but codifying limits is critical for long-term reform politico.com+2natlawreview.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2
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Experts cite rising dangers from executive overreach and impulse to defy courts, echoing threats to democratic norms politico.com
