The new, incoming administration can do many things before the tribunal is established.
We saw how "Project 2025" set out a roadmap for the Trump/MAGA administration. We can do the same.
This article deals only with steps that can, and ought, to be taken as soon as possible. The list of other less exigent reforms, including considerable reshaping of parts of our Constitution, are not discussed here.
These steps can begin as soon as Congress begins, at noon (Eastern Standard Time - EST) on January 3, 2028. Congress can begin by establishing rules to allow for emergency and expedited procedures and preparing bills to be passed and submitted to the incoming President immediately after the Inauguration.
The next tick of the clock is at noon (EST), January 20, 2028, when the new President takes office. The new president can issue executive orders, military orders, and other administrative orders right from the inaugural platform. Some of these will have to be put into immediate effect to prevent the expected theft of United States property and documentation by the outgoing administration.
Within hours after the Inauguration, the new Congress can enact pre-written bills, resolutions, and articles of Impeachment.
January 3, 2028, Noon Eastern Standard Time - The New Congress Begins
Every two years a new Congress begins at noon (Eastern Standard Time, EST) on January 3.
At that time the new Congress (at least the House) establishes new rules and names new officers (such as the Speaker).
There is a period between January 3 and the inaguration of an incoming president on January 20 in which the new Congress operates under the outgoing President. (Yes, that is odd.)
We can anticipate that Trump will do little to cooperate with the incoming Congress. But that does not mean that Congress can't start spinning up its wheels and begin work cleaning up the Augean Stables mess that Trump will leave behind.
What should Congress do during this period?
The House ought to begin establishing the committee structures and documents to impeach Trump/MAGA hangover. Given that we can anticipate resistance from the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) perhaps the initial impeachments procedings ought to be aimed at several members of SCOTUS.
Note that impeachment can reach far into the Federal government's organizational chart.
Congress' own "Constutiion Annotated" tells us that "[t]he Constitution confers upon Congress the power to impeach and thereafter remove from office the President,1 Vice President, and other federal officers—including judges—on account of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
The Senate ought to begin to arrange for the trials that will result after the House delivers the Articles of Impeachment for each of the persons being impeached.
The House and the Senate should pass a concurrent resolution indicating that it is the sense of Congress that those who participated in the January 6, 2021 insurrection and who have (in the words of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment "previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States" are considered disqualified (per Section 3 of the 14th Amendment) to be "Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State"
The work of Congress is initiated by the introduction of a proposal in one of four principal forms: the bill, the joint resolution, the concurrent resolution, and the simple resolution.
Bills
A bill is the form used for most legislation, whether permanent or temporary, general or special, public or private. A bill originating in the House of Representatives is designated by the letters “H.R.”, signifying “House of Representatives”, followed by a number that it retains throughout all its parliamentary stages. Bills are presented to the President for action when approved in identical form by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Joint Resolutions
Joint resolutions may originate either in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. There is little practical difference between a bill and a joint resolution. Both are subject to the same procedure, except for a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution. On approval of such a resolution by two-thirds of both the House and Senate, it is sent directly to the Administrator of General Services for submission to the individual states for ratification. It is not presented to the President for approval. A joint resolution originating in the House of Representatives is designated “H.J.Res.” followed by its individual number. Joint resolutions become law in the same manner as bills.
Concurrent Resolutions
Matters affecting the operations of both the House of Representatives and Senate are usually initiated by means of concurrent resolutions. A concurrent resolution originating in the House of Representatives is designated “H.Con.Res.” followed by its individual number. On approval by both the House of Representatives and Senate, they are signed by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate. They are not presented to the President for action.
Simple Resolutions
A matter concerning the operation of either the House of Representatives or Senate alone is initiated by a simple resolution. A resolution affecting the House of Representatives is designated “H.Res.” followed by its number. They are not presented to the President for action.
January 20, 2028, Noon Eastern Standard Time - On The Inauguration Stand
Order to the US Military to immediately land all Presidential aircraft (such as the VC-25's used as "Air Force One" and the helicopters used as "Marine One") at the nearest military landing site, remove all non-governmental or military staff, and escort others to the gates to seek their own transportation. All property and documents not clearly identifiable as personal property (clothing, medicines, etc) on those aircraft are to be immediately inventoried and placed into secure escrow pending adjudication of ownership.
Classified Materials:
Revoke security clearances of Trump and others from the outgoing Trump/MAGA administration and require the immediate return of all classified materials.
Order the Department of Justice (DoJ), other agencies, and the Military to take control of all classified documents and classified property held at Trump and Trump-related properties.
Freeze all activities by ICE and CBP.
Halt all deportations and release all deportation subjects not convicted of deportable crimes, subject to orders to make their locations known to the government.
Revoke the Passports of Trump, his immediate family, all members of Trump's cabinet, and Elon Musk.
Images
Order the removal of any depiction of Trump or his name from any Federal building, road, or facility.
Order the removal from circulation or use of any coin, currency, or Federal document (such as Passports) that bear Trump's name or image. Order that replacements be made available at no cost.
Order the immediate cessation of construction of "The Wall", "The Ballroom", "The Arch" except to the degree to isolate the property to prevent theft or injury.
Restore the names of the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, the Palm Beach airport, and the like.
After the Inauguration: Presidential Actions
De-uglify the White House:
Remove all of Trump's gilded and gold-painted decorations. These should be crushed into dust to prevent them from being used as icons and relics.
Replace the Rose Garden
Remove the giant flagpoles
Military Orders
Executive Orders And Policy Findings
After the Inauguration: Congressional Actions
Bills
Publish Federal tax returns of Trump and the Trump Organization.
Recapture Federal Property:
Declare all items given to Trump during his terms to be Federal property, especially noting the bribe jet from Qatar.
Repeal all laws and policies that allow a Trump Presidential library to hold or retain Federal property.
Extend the Statute of Limitations to allow prosecution (criminal or civil) of crimes and civil wrongs of the Trump/MAGA administrations.
Attach Sunset provisions to all existing Federal laws that delegate Congressional authority to the President. These provisions ought to require that any such delegation will cease at certain intervals unless affirmatively extended (for another interval) by Congress via the passage of an extension statute.
Resolutions
Articles of Impeachment
There will be many who remain in the Federal government by virtue of long or effectively lifetime appointments (such as Article II judges).
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Several Article II judges should be impeached and removed from office:
Clarence Thomas (SCOTUS)
Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
Brett M. Kavanaugh
Aileen Mercedes Cannon
Use Section 3 of the 14h Amendment To Block Some January 6 Wrongdoers From Holding Office
Trump may have pardoned many of the January 6, 2021 insurrectionists, but that pardon does not affect or reduce the limitations expressed in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Not all January 6 participants are subject to Section 3, but many are.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
