President Trump's second term has revealed weaknesses in America's political system, particularly how Congress has become largely irrelevant in the face of executive orders and Supreme Court rulings. The balance between Congress and the Supreme Court is deeply flawed. Constitutionally, Congress writes laws and courts interpret them, with Congress able to override judicial interpretations of statutes. However, the Supreme Court's ruling in Marbury v. Madison (1803) established its authority over constitutional interpretation, which Congress cannot simply override.
Over the summer, the justices handed Trump defeats on two cherished priorities, imposing global tariffs and resetting mail-in voting rules. A lower-court judge blocked Trump's appointees on the Kennedy Center board from putting his name on it. Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled the board cannot install memorials without Congress's blessing, yet Republicans have not moved a bill to authorize adding Trump's name.
Congress's inaction reflects its increasingly do-nothing nature. The Senate rule requiring 60 votes to break a filibuster gives Republicans an excuse to distance themselves from unpopular decrees. Since 2013, it's become exceedingly rare for Congress to reject a court decision, with overrides falling from an average of 12 per term from 1975-1990 to nearly zero since then.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing