119-HRES-1309 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary — H. Res. 1309 (119th Congress)

Headline Summary: A new House resolution by Rep. Steve Cohen (D‑TN) seeks to impeach Chief Justice John Roberts, alleging he politicized the Supreme Court, expanded use of unexplained emergency orders, advantaged the wealthy in campaign‑finance cases, erred on presidential immunity, and failed to recuse in light of his spouse’s legal‑recruiting income. [1]Rep. Steve Cohen (House.gov) — Press release: Rep. Steve Cohen introduces six i…

What It Does: H. Res. 1309 is a resolution to impeach the Chief Justice. It lays out six articles, citing: (1) politicization of election‑law interventions (including the Court’s recent Louisiana redistricting ruling and emergency‑docket practice); (2) undermining democratic representation (tying Roberts’s role to Rucho v. Common Cause and the Louisiana v. Callais decision); (3) privileging wealth in campaign finance (Citizens United, McCutcheon, Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta); (4) the 2024 presidential‑immunity decision Trump v. United States; (5) increased reliance on largely unexplained emergency orders; and (6) failure to recuse under the federal recusal statute given reporting on Jane Roberts’s past recruiting commissions. These are the resolution’s allegations; removal would still require separate House and Senate actions. [1]Rep. Steve Cohen (House.gov) — Press release: Rep. Steve Cohen introduces six i…

• Who’s For It: Filed by Rep. Steve Cohen, who argues the Court’s recent election‑law and immunity rulings, along with ethics concerns, have damaged public trust. [1]Rep. Steve Cohen (House.gov) — Press release: Rep. Steve Cohen introduces six i…
• Supporters’ case in plain terms: Critics of the Callais ruling say it weakens Voting Rights Act protections and could shape maps in ways that diminish minority representation. [2]Congressional Research Service / EveryCRSReport.com — CRS Legal Sidebar: Congre…

• Who’s Against It: Expect resistance from Republicans and many conservatives who have generally opposed using impeachment to contest judicial decisions; Chief Justice Roberts has publicly said impeachment isn’t an appropriate response to disagreements over rulings. [3]Axios — Roberts rebukes calls to impeach judges; says impeachment isn’t a respo…
• Practical reality: Even if the House advanced impeachment, removal would require a two‑thirds vote in the Senate—a very high bar historically. [4]U.S. Senate — U.S. Senate — About Impeachment (constitutional standards and two…

What’s Next: The resolution was introduced on May 21, 2026 and is at the early, introductory stage. Impeachment measures are typically handled by the House Judiciary Committee; if the House were to approve articles, the Senate would then conduct a trial, where conviction and removal require a two‑thirds vote. [1]Rep. Steve Cohen (House.gov) — Press release: Rep. Steve Cohen introduces six i…