1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

Senator Angus King's decision to vote alongside Republicans in allowing the stopgap spending measure to proceed enabled the Trump administration to continue reshaping the federal government unchecked. By averting a shutdown, Congress ceded more power to President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to selectively fund agencies and programs, furlough staff deemed "non-essential," and pursue an aggressive agenda to downsize the government unilaterally. This undermines Congress's constitutional role in controlling federal spending and oversight. A shutdown, while disruptive, would have limited the administration's ability to sidestep congressional directives on appropriations. Senator King's vote prioritized avoiding short-term disruptions over reining in executive overreach that erodes the system of checks and balances. His decision, while perhaps pragmatic, empowers further expansions of presidential authority at the expense of Congress's power of the purse. I urge the Senator to reconsider supporting measures that grant the Trump administration unconstrained latitude to remake the government through funding freezes and staff cuts without legislative consent.