(Iowa Capital Dispatch; Washington, D-C) – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is set to play a top role as the Senate Judiciary Committee chair in hearings next week on courts blocking President Donald Trump’s actions. Members of Iowa’s congressional delegation also introduced legislation to make English the official language of the nation and to address a shortage of truck drivers.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold a meeting titled “Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions” Wednesday, April 2, looking at nationwide injunctions on executive actions.

Many of the high-profile actions taken by Trump’s administration have been stopped in court in the months since he took office. On Thursday, a federal appeals court upheld an injunction blocking the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan nationals, and a federal district court judge blocked the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Personnel Management and Treasury Department from disclosing “personally identifiable information” on certain parties to Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service in a Monday injunction. These are among numerous court decisions temporarily stopping the Trump administration from enforcing or enacting measures that challengers have argued in court are unconstitutional or unlawful.

But Grassley and other Republicans say these court actions are an overreach of power. The Iowa Republican said Congress “must step in and provide clarity” on the judicial branch’s ability to halt executive actions, saying the hearings will “explore legislative solutions to bring the balance of power back in check.” Grassley also spoke Tuesday in opposition to a resolution proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, that would require the federal executive branch to comply with federal court rulings.

The U.S. Capitol on Nov. 26, 2024. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)

Grassley proposed amendments to the resolution stating the executive branch only has to comply with “lawful” court rulings, and that added language saying “it is inappropriate for courts of the United States to override legislative or executive action by the elected branches of government because of different policy preferences.” Without these changes, Grassley argued on the Senate floor that “this resolution demands that the president comply with all court orders, but it’s completely silent about the role of the federal courts to adhere to the law themselves.” He also said he supported congressional action to limit courts’ ability to stop Trump administration policies from taking effect.

Durbin had argued immediate action was needed from Congress to support the court’s ability to keep the executive branch in check in light of calls from Trump and others like Musk to impeach judges over decisions. Grassley said Thursday he does not support calls to impeach judges over a decision.

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Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks this week introduced a measure codifying Trump’s executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. Trump issued the executive order March 1, rescinding an executive order by former President Bill Clinton in 2000 directing federal federal agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to improve access to services for people with limited English proficiency

Immigrant advocates criticized Trump’s order for potentially limiting services for people who speak other languages.  Currently, 32 states have made English their official state language, with some states like Alaska, South Dakota and Hawaii designating both English and a native language as official languages.

In a news release Friday, Miller-Meeks argued making English the official language of the U.S. is an important step in “reinforcing a shared national identity and strengthening civic engagement.”