A powerful U.S. congressman is furious with the way the NFL is treating Colin Kaepernick -- and tells TMZ Sports the government may finally have to action against the league.
Rep. Hank Johnson (Democrat from Georgia's DeKalb County) says he believes Kaepernick is the "victim" ... because the NFL orchestrated a league-wide ban on the QB because he "exercised his 1st Amendment right."
So, what can Congress do about it?
"It's possible that Congress can do something," Johnson says ... "Congress oversees the anti-trust exemption that we gave the NFL.