1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As Americans who value our democratic system of checks and balances, we must hold all representatives accountable for failing to conduct appropriate oversight and defend Congress' constitutionally-mandated powers in the face of unprecedented executive overreach by the President. The recent unilateral actions to freeze congressionally-approved funding, purge independent watchdogs, and attempt to dismantle agencies like USAID without legislative approval represent an alarming consolidation of power in the executive branch that undermines our founding principles of separated powers. While the President possesses significant authority, ignoring duly passed laws and congressional appropriations violates the Constitution's careful system of checks and balances designed to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. Vigorous oversight hearings, investigations, and potential legislative actions are urgently needed to uphold democratic norms, defend the legislative branch's prerogatives, and rein in executive overreach - regardless of which party controls the White House. Preserving our democratic institutions must take precedence over partisan allegiances. As citizens, we have a civic duty to demand accountability from all our elected representatives.