1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I am writing as a deeply concerned constituent who no longer recognizes Congress as a coequal branch of government. It appears that you and many of your Republican colleagues have willingly ceded your constitutional authority to the President. I want to understand why. Why have you abandoned your duty to provide oversight and accountability? Why do you tolerate the erosion of checks and balances that protect our democracy? Have you chosen silence out of fear, ambition, or the lure of political gain? Do you believe loyalty to one man is worth the dismantling of our republic? It looks, from the outside, as though many in Congress have traded their legislative power for proximity to authority. Perhaps you are hoping to become part of an emerging oligarchy. Is that what you envision for our nation? Or are there financial or political incentives that have taken precedence over your oath to the Constitution? Your constituents deserve honest answers. We are witnessing the concentration of power in the executive branch on a scale this country has never seen. If Congress will not defend its own authority, who will defend the American people? I expect a direct and transparent response.