Constitutional Accountability Center Constitutional Accountability Center

Rule of Law

Holding the courts and political branches accountable to the text and history of the Constitution and federal statutes
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President Obama addressing Joint Session of Congress | Lawrence Jackson, White House Archives

Summary

The Constitution and its Amendments, as well as numerous federal statutes, guarantee rights for all in America, define responsibilities for government officials, and mark the boundary between the federal and state governments. CAC works to hold those in power accountable to the commands of our Constitution and laws in these areas.

Rule of Law in Brief

Oral Arguments at the Florida Supreme Court | Jeanie 0146, Wikimedia Commons

President Trump’s failure to respect the clear text of the Constitution, as well as its cherished norms and values — including his violations of the Emoluments Clauses — is an attack on the rule of law. CAC works to ensure that no public official is above the law.

Featured Case

Rule of Law September 15, 2021

Committee on Ways & Means, U.S. House of Representatives v. U.S. Dep’t of the Treasury

Under federal law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall, “[u]pon written request,” furnish the Committee on Ways and Means with “any [tax] return or [tax] return information.”  Exercising this authority, Committee Chairman Richard Neal requested in April 2019 that the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provide the Committee with then-President Donald Trump’s individual tax returns and the tax returns of eight of Trump’s businesses from 2013 through 2018.  The Committee requested this information as part of its investigative work as it considered the need for new legislation. Then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin denied that request, and...

Case Timeline

Current
  • CAC files amicus curiae brief

Related Issue Areas

Federal Courts and Nominations See More
Access to Justice See More