In a move aimed squarely at the judicial roadblocks impeding President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, House Republicans passed the No Rogue Rulings Act on Wednesday, taking direct aim at federal judges who have repeatedly ground key policies to a halt with sweeping nationwide injunctions.
The bill passed by a narrow but decisive margin — 219 Republicans in favor, 212 Democrats opposed, and one Republican defector, Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), joining the Democrats. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority and are expected to push forward, though the margin will be tighter.
The legislation amends U.S. Code to restrict district courts from issuing injunctions that apply beyond the immediate parties involved in a case. Instead, such sweeping orders would require a three-judge panel, and only when multiple states across separate judicial circuits are plaintiffs. The Supreme Court would remain the final authority for nationwide remedies.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) didn’t mince words:
“The actual crisis is activist judges trying to single-handedly stop the President’s agenda.”
And he’s right. In just the opening months of Trump’s new term, liberal judges have tried to sabotage nearly every significant executive initiative — from the Department of Government Efficiency’s anti-waste reforms, to the use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport violent gang members, including those linked to Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s most feared criminal syndicate.
These aren’t isolated incidents. For years now, left-wing legal activists have filed lawsuits in hand-picked jurisdictions with reliably progressive judges. From climate policy to immigration enforcement, the tactic is always the same: get a single district judge to issue a nationwide injunction, freezing executive power in its tracks — no matter how constitutionally grounded the action.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who introduced the bill, put it bluntly during floor debate:
“Left-leaning activists have cooperated with ideological judges… to stall dozens of lawful executive actions.”
As proof, Issa pointed to this week’s Supreme Court smackdown of Judge James Boasberg, who had tried to block the deportation of Venezuelan gang members. The High Court lifted Boasberg’s injunction immediately, showing just how far these judges are stretching their authority.
Naturally, Democrats rushed to the microphone with the usual talking points. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called the bill “a dangerous threat to the rule of law.” But what’s really dangerous is allowing a single unelected judge in a blue district to dictate national policy for over 330 million Americans.
Nadler, of course, ignored the fact that Trump’s administration has won on appeal time and time again, exposing the weak legal underpinnings of these injunctions. His concern isn’t about law — it’s about preserving a tool for progressive sabotage.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is spearheading a parallel effort, introducing legislation that outright bans nationwide injunctions by district courts. Hawley called it an effort to “STOP liberal judges’ serial abuse of their power.”
While some conservatives have called for impeachment proceedings or judicial reforms to deal with lawless judges, House GOP leadership is, for now, taking the measured constitutional route. The No Rogue Rulings Act represents a strategic defense of the executive branch and a direct challenge to judicial overreach.
And Trump is watching. The White House has already signaled support for the bill, calling it “consistent with this Administration’s commitment to preserving the separation of powers.”
