1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

No president — including Donald Trump — has the authority to declare an “emergency” in order to override the Constitution or manipulate American elections. Free and fair elections are not optional. They are the foundation of our constitutional republic. They are the mechanism by which power is granted and removed. When emergency powers are twisted into political weapons, democracy itself is placed at risk. I am writing to demand that you support and pass the Free Elections Act. The purpose of this legislation is straightforward and necessary: to explicitly prohibit any president from abusing emergency powers to delay, alter, interfere with, or otherwise manipulate federal elections. Emergency authorities exist for genuine national crises — natural disasters, wars, catastrophic threats — not for political convenience or partisan advantage. History has shown, both abroad and at home, how fragile democratic institutions become when leaders claim extraordinary powers in extraordinary times. The Constitution does not contain an “unless it’s inconvenient” clause. It does not permit suspending elections because the political environment is unfavorable. It does not authorize executive overreach under the vague banner of “emergency.” Congress has the constitutional responsibility to check executive power. Article I grants you that authority for a reason. If there is even a remote possibility that emergency powers could be invoked to disrupt, delay, or delegitimize an election, then the law must be crystal clear: it cannot happen. The Free Elections Act is not partisan. It is structural. It protects Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and every American voter equally. It protects the peaceful transfer of power. It protects public trust. It protects the legitimacy of every future president. Silence or inaction in the face of potential abuse is complicity. Codify the guardrails now — before a crisis tests them. I expect you to publicly support, co-sponsor, and vote in favor of the Free Elections Act. Our democracy is not a suggestion. It is a system of laws that must be defended — especially when it is politically inconvenient to do so.