# Cato Expert: True Criminal Justice Reform Goes Beyond Pardons 

As President Donald Trump uses his pardon power to pardon controversial figures, Congress has proposed bipartisan legislation that would establish a process for Congress to nullify pardons.

February 23, 2026 • News Releases 

As President Donald Trump uses his pardon power to pardon controversial figures, Congress has proposed bipartisan legislation that would establish a process for Congress to nullify pardons.

In a recent [op-ed](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fthehill.com*2Fopinion*2Fwhite-house*2F5748011-congressional-veto-over-pardon*2F/1/0100019c8aff4172-957c000b-9452-4c56-8387-cc8df426f794-000000/IJyPkVlRt_vlxRjjBwjY8qaiU1g=466___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjY4ZWEyM2U2YzNiMjI0NzU1NWI5YzE5YjYwMGRkODM2Ojc6YWU4NDpmYWNjNmU3MzU1ZTA1NDRkZTBhY2U0OTU4MzFjMzVhNGZmNzZmYTMxNWEyNTU2ZjViZjM2NDljMGYxY2I5ZDQwOmg6VDpO), [Mike Fox](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fmike-fox/1/0100019c8aff4172-957c000b-9452-4c56-8387-cc8df426f794-000000/VUDtfYnQ5BIVVVwjl2bOtaiVbrs=466___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjY4ZWEyM2U2YzNiMjI0NzU1NWI5YzE5YjYwMGRkODM2Ojc6ZGQzNjpiZGQwMDgxOGNlM2FlOGY2YTExY2ZlZjRhNjJmODljY2JiOTExYWJjNDlkZmQxMTI2ZTEzNTFkYjJlMjY3NmMyOmg6VDpO), legal fellow at the Cato Institute’s Project on Criminal Justice, discusses the need for true reform of our criminal justice system, writing in part:

> *“The pardon power is a double-edged sword, but stripping it away removes the people’s final fail-safe against an overreaching federal government. Red tape does not stop corruption; it just prices regular people out of the process. True reform does not center on fixing the pardon process; we should be building a system where the need for such a radical remedy is rare, not routine.”*

To speak with Fox about the President’s pardon power, contact [Christopher Tarvardian](mailto:ctarvardian@cato.org).

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