Protect Copyright & Library of Congress: Stop Trump’s Illegal Firings

President Trump’s abrupt dismissal of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and U.S. Copyright Office Director Shira Perlmutter represents an alarming overreach into the legislative branch and a direct assault on the independence of institutions vital to our democracy. Perlmutter’s termination came just days after her office released a report questioning the legality of AI companies using copyrighted materials without compensation—a stance that reportedly conflicted with the interests of tech allies like Elon Musk (AP News, May 2025; The Guardian, May 2025). These firings appear politically motivated and undermine the constitutional separation of powers. The Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office are designed to operate independently of executive influence. The president’s attempt to install loyalists, including his former personal attorney Todd Blanche, into these roles without proper congressional oversight challenges this independence and sets a dangerous precedent (Politico, May 2025). Such actions threaten the integrity of institutions that safeguard our nation’s cultural and intellectual property. I urge you to take immediate action to investigate these dismissals, reaffirm the autonomy of the Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office, and ensure that appointments to these critical positions are made transparently and lawfully. Protecting the independence of these institutions is essential to preserving the checks and balances that uphold our democracy.