1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

The power of the purse belongs to Congress; but the current president is dead set on seizing every power for himself. After demanding—-and getting—-a rescissions package in July that unraveled the work and allocations of the previous Congress, Mr. Trump is back just a month later to demand that this Congress neuter its own negotiations and allocations. If Congress grants the president’s request for pocket rescission now, it will cement the administration’s complete authority to choose arbitrarily and capriciously to withhold congressionally designated funds for any and all government functions. Every member of Congress must recognize the demands of this moment: assert the authority of your branch of government. Tell the executive that we are neither a monarchy nor a dictatorship and that Congress has already allocated the funds he seeks to obstruct. Congressionally allocated funds must be distributed faithfully and in due course.