- United States
- Calif.
- Letter
The actions taken by President Trump and his administration pose a grave threat to our constitutional system of checks and balances and the separation of powers. By unilaterally freezing congressionally approved spending, dissolving independent agencies like USAID without legislative consent, and allowing personnel like Elon Musk to interfere with civil service protections and Treasury payment systems, the executive branch has severely undermined Congress's power of the purse. This unconstitutional power grab cannot stand. The looming debt ceiling crisis compounds these dangers. If Congress proves unable to raise the debt limit due to an impasse with the president over spending priorities, it could give Trump justification to further consolidate control over federal outlays. An administration already exhibiting authoritarian tendencies may attempt to prioritize only its preferred programs while letting others go unfunded during a default. This would deal a potentially fatal blow to our democratic system of government. To uphold the Constitution and prevent a constitutional crisis, it is imperative that Congress reassert its authority as the sole branch permitted to authorize federal spending. Strong legislative action is needed to rein in the executive overreach, restore the civil service protections illegally breached, and make crystal clear that the president must faithfully execute all lawful appropriations without impounding funds at his discretion. Failing to do so poses an existential threat to our republic and its institutional checks on power. The stakes could not be higher.