Buried in the House’s budget reconciliation bill — now pending in the Senate — is a legislative provision that takes aim at the federal judiciary. Section 70302, titled “ Restriction on Enforcement ,” would undermine federal judges’ authority to enforce court orders by limiting their ability to hold government officials in contempt, a key tool for compelling compliance with court orders.

Following court rulings is not optional. If federal officials defy a court order, judges have the authority to hold them in contempt, which is a power that judges exercise to address threats to the integrity of judicial proceedings. When officials fail to follow a court order, judges may hold them and their attorneys in civil contempt, imposing fines, jail time, or other penalties to induce complian

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