Constitutional Amendment (Passed)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I would suggest that the Senate think very carefully on this matter and try not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The current - extraordinarily broad - Presidential pardoning powers were added to the Constitution in an attempt to correct a severe oversight; previous constitutions had not included specific pardoning powers and so Presidents had pardoned based on tradition. The Court eventually ruled against this, leaving the Executive with no power to pardon whatsoever. The broad and sweeping powers that have caused the current controversy were most likely not intended to be nearly so broad and sweeping as they have turned out. Please be extremely careful as to how you phrase any modification to the Constitution: previous Senates and ConCons have tended (alas!) not to be.

I would also like to point out that Constitution as it currently stands restricts the Presidency to the point of emasculation (largely to the benefit of this very legislature, actually), and also that an openly-worded piece of constitutional text can be read in multiple ways. There is nothing in the Constitution as presently written that expressly prohibits the overturning of previous Presidential pardons.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I would kindly urge the members of this august chamber to read the relevant section of the Constitution as it is presently written:

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And now ask yourselves: what isn't there? Nothing says that a President cannot repeal the pardons given by past Presidents.