U.S. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina has partnered with Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa to introduce the Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025. This proposed legislation seeks to limit federal court orders to parties directly involved in the case before a court, effectively ending the use of universal injunctions. The bill aims to clarify the constitutional role of the judicial branch.
Senator Budd stated, “District judges are not policymakers and have no authority to set national policy. The Constitution intentionally separates powers among three equal branches of government, but some district judges have overstepped, infringing on the executive branch with nationwide orders.” He emphasized the need to stop these “dangerous acts of overreach,” expressing pride in collaborating with Senator Grassley and other Senate Republicans on this initiative.
A significant number of Senators supported the introduction of this bill, including John Barrasso from Wyoming, Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee, and several others from across the country. This collective effort underscores a shared concern among these lawmakers regarding judicial intervention in executive matters.
The legislation is framed against the backdrop of Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which restricts courts to deciding cases or controversies. The increasing trend of issuing universal injunctions has marked a departure from historical precedent, as there is no recorded issuance of such orders before 1963. This practice has become more prevalent in recent years, notably during the early months of President Trump’s second term, when more universal injunctions were issued against his policies than during President Biden’s entire four-year term.
