Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) and Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI-11) have introduced their “Stop Trump’s Abuse of Power Act” as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), seeking to limit a president’s unilateral authority to deploy military forces within the United States.
The move comes in direct response to former President Donald Trump’s recent threats to send the National Guard into Chicago, following earlier deployments of federal forces to Los Angeles and Washington D.C., without state requests.
In a September 3, 2025, statement, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, an Indian American, explained that the amendment, originally introduced earlier this year as a standalone bill, would “prevent any president from unilaterally deploying active-duty military forces or federalizing the National Guard against communities without a request from a state or territory’s elected leadership.”
Krishnamoorthi emphasized that Trump’s threats represent an overreach of executive power, noting that his push to militarize Chicago “will do nothing but spark chaos and create spectacle” as “there is no emergency in Illinois that warrants federalizing our National Guard or deploying active-duty troops into our communities.”
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The Illinois congressman, a consistent critic of Trump’s approach, further stated: “No president should be able to turn the U.S. military into their personal police force. When Donald Trump threatens to send the National Guard into Chicago, it’s not about keeping people safe – it’s about militarizing a city, silencing dissent, and staging political stunts. Our amendment is simple: if you want to deploy troops into a state, you need the governor’s request. Anything less is a dangerous abuse of power that tramples on the Constitution.”
If enacted, the Stop Trump’s Abuse of Power Act would:
- Prohibit the president from unilaterally deploying active-duty military personnel in response to peaceful protests or demonstrations.
- Require an explicit request from a governor or chief executive before any such deployment.
- Reinforce constitutional checks and balances on executive authority and protect the right to peaceful assembly.
The amendment will now move to the House Rules Committee, which will decide whether it is eligible for a floor vote.
