1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to block the current administration's unconstitutional overreach into our state elections. Executive Orders 14248 and 14399 attempt to bypass both Congress and the states by threatening to cut off critical election security and grant funding unless states fundamentally alter their local voting procedures. We must defend the constitutional separation of powers against this illegal executive action for three critical reasons: - It Violates Article I of the Constitution: Article I, Section 4 explicitly grants state legislatures—and Congress through statutory law—the authority to set election rules. The President does not have the constitutional right to change voter registration requirements or ballot deadlines via executive order. - It Weaponizes the Power of the Purse: Congress alone controls federal spending. Threatening to withhold existing state grants to force compliance with an executive agenda undermines the authority of Congress and sets a dangerous precedent for federal coercion over the states. - It Restricts Eligible Voters and Creates Chaos: Implementing sudden, one-size-fits-all federal mandates—such as restricting the postal delivery of mail-in ballots, banning late-arriving votes, and complicating voter registration—will create widespread administrative confusion, slow down local counts, and create unnecessary barriers for eligible, law-abiding voters. Congress must assert its constitutional authority. I ask that you take the following actions: 1. Defund Enforcement via Appropriations: Introduce and support explicit funding riders in the upcoming budget appropriations bills to prohibit federal agencies (such as the EAC, DHS, and USPS) from using any funds to enforce these executive orders or condition state grants on their compliance. 2. Conduct Strict Congressional Oversight: Convene committee hearings to investigate federal agency implementation of these orders, demanding accountability from agency heads attempting to enforce unauthorized rules on state election boards. 3. Pass Protective Legislation: Co-sponsor and pass legislation reaffirming that federal agencies cannot withhold, reduce, or condition statutory federal funding on election policy changes without explicit, prior approval from Congress. Please stand up for the separation of powers, protect our state's federal funding, and keep local election administration safe from executive overreach.