1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am encouraged to see some Republican lawmakers beginning to reassert congressional authority in the face of expanding executive power. Sen. Thom Tillis called the second Pentagon strike on a drug boat in the Caribbean a "horrible decision" and demanded accountability. Sen. Susan Collins warned that lobstermen, blueberry growers, and potato farmers would pay the price for tariffs. Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon criticized the "velvet glove, red carpet treatment for Putin" while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received "condescending, boorish behavior." These examples demonstrate that some Republicans recognize Congress must defend its constitutional powers to appropriate funds, declare war, and levy taxes. As Sen. Lisa Murkowski told NPR, Congress needs to stand up for its powers under the Constitution, though recent attempts through resolutions rebuking tariffs and boat strikes have not been sufficient. However, I am concerned about your record on this issue. While some of your colleagues are finding their voice on executive overreach, I need to see you take a stronger stance in defending congressional authority as a coequal branch of government. The framers established the legislative branch in Article 1 of the Constitution because they saw it as closest to the people. Brookings Institution expert Molly Reynolds notes that Congress has been ceding power to the executive and judicial branches for decades, and this trend has escalated. There is precedent for Congress reasserting its power, as seen in Watergate-era reforms, but it requires institutional patriotism that transcends party loyalty. I urge you to join your colleagues in pushing back against executive overreach through meaningful congressional oversight. Use your position to demand accountability on military strikes, protect constituent economic interests from harmful tariffs, and ensure Congress fulfills its constitutional responsibilities. Our system of checks and balances depends on legislators who prioritize their oath to the Constitution over party allegiance.