Freshman House Democrats introduced the Protect Our Constitution and Communities Act aimed at allowing individuals to sue the government over blocked appropriated funds. This legislation seeks to enforce the Impoundment Control Act in light of recent fund freezes affecting grants. While unlikely to pass in the current Congress, the bill is seen as a potential template for future efforts. The act would also remove qualified immunity for officials, allowing potential liability for decisions affecting funding, particularly those that impact progressive policies in blue states.
"We need to buttress the Constitution and provide a bulwark against future authoritarianism from this administration or any others," Liccardo told NOTUS.
If DOGE were to decide that any NIH grants that contain the word diversity should be slashed," Liccardo said, then an institution or an individual laid off as a result of that project could bring a lawsuit.
The bill would also provide a mechanism for lawsuits to take away the qualified immunity from certain government workers so "someone like Elon Musk would be personally liable..."
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