A resolution directing the Senate Legal Counsel to bring a civil action in the name of the United States Senate to enforce the Foreign Emoluments Clause contained in clause 8 of section 9 of article I of the Constitution of the United States.
This resolution (S. Res. 219) would instruct the Senate Legal Counsel to file a civil action in the name of the United States Senate to enforce the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. The clause forbids the President from accepting gifts, emoluments, offices, or titles from foreign states without congressional consent. The resolution frames a set of alleged foreign-related benefits involving former President Donald J. Trump (and his family) as grounds for the action, and it directs the counsel to seek to enjoin the President from accepting any such foreign emoluments without Congress’s consent. As a Senate resolution, it does not itself create a law but asks the Senate Legal Counsel to initiate litigation on behalf of the Senate. The language relies on a series of “Whereas” statements to justify the action, including references to potential arrangements involving a Qatar-provided plane, a UAE-backed investment entity, a cryptocurrency-related deal with Binance, and other international business activity tied to the former president and family. The text explicitly targets enforcement against the named individual and seeks to prevent further acceptance of unconsented foreign emoluments.
Key Points
- 1Directs action: The Senate Legal Counsel must bring a civil action in the name of the United States Senate to enforce the Foreign Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8).
- 2Target and remedy: The action is aimed at President Donald J. Trump, with a request to enjoin him from accepting any present, emolument, office, or title from a foreign state without Congress’s consent.
- 3Basis for action: The justification rests on the Foreign Emoluments Clause’s prohibition on foreign influence over U.S. officers without congressional consent, framed as undermining public trust and the integrity of office.
- 4Legislative form: This is a Senate resolution (not a bill converting into law) and, if adopted, would authorize litigation rather than create statutory obligations directly.
- 5Scope of allegations: The resolution uses multiple “Whereas” clauses to describe alleged arrangements (e.g., a Qatar plane, MGX Fund managing UAE links, a World Liberty Financial/Binance deal) as examples of potential or ongoing emoluments requiring consent.