Where is Congress in All This?

Where Is Congress in All This? I am writing as a constituent to ask a simple question: where is Congress? The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse and authority over federal property. Yet over the past year, the executive branch has repeatedly tested those powers, while Congress’s response has too often been limited to letters, requests for information, or expressions of concern rather than action with consequences. Consider just a few examples: • The White House ballroom. In August, the D.C. Circuit ruled that Congress has exclusive constitutional authority over federal property and found that the administration likely lacks statutory authority for the ballroom project. The project has been estimated at approximately $600 million, with substantial taxpayer funding reportedly involved. The Supreme Court has since allowed construction to continue while it considers the case. Why has Congress not used its own constitutional authority to address the issue? • National Park Service funding. Internal NPS records reported by CNN show $323 million allocated in 2026 for White House grounds projects, compared with approximately $7 million in 2024—a roughly 5,000% increase. The same reporting found significantly reduced funding for major national parks including Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon. If Congress disagrees with these priorities, why has it not used its appropriations power to change them? • The $4.9 billion “pocket rescission.” In 2025, the administration attempted to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign-aid funding that Congress had already appropriated by submitting a rescission request shortly before the funds expired. The funds ultimately expired without Congress approving the rescission. The Government Accountability Office has concluded that this use of the 45-day rescission period violates the Impoundment Control Act. What has Congress done to ensure that this cannot simply happen again? • The Iran war. On June 24, the administration formally requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding from Congress, including approximately $67 billion for the Department of Defense for costs associated with the war in Iran.  I am not asking Congress simply to approve this request. Quite the opposite. Before appropriating tens of billions of additional dollars, Congress should be demanding meaningful oversight: What are the objectives of the war? What is the legal authority for continuing it? What is the exit strategy? What will this war ultimately cost? And under what circumstances will U.S. involvement end? Why isn’t Congress using the power of the purse to demand answers to these basic questions? And so, to repeat: where is Congress?  With Congress facing questions this consequential, it is difficult not to ask why the House would leave Washington—unless, unless as Rep. Massie has publicly alleged, the recess is timed to avoid a vote on his Epstein discharge petition. While Speaker Johnson denies that is the reason, the failure to address these issues, and leaving town before the discharge petition is addressed, is yet another example of Congress’ abrogation of its’ duty. The examples in this letter are not merely disagreements over presidential policy. They concern whether Congress will exercise the constitutional powers entrusted to it:  withhold appropriations, require reporting, hold hearings, issue subpoenas, enact legislation, and—when military action is concerned—exercise its constitutional authority over whether and how that action is funded.  What specific action will you take, or advocate within your chamber, to exercise those powers?