Our Democracy Is in Crisis. These 5 Actions Can Save It

Millions of Americans are in the streets today, March 28, 2026, for the third No Kings day of action. I’m writing to every official who represents me, state and federal, because protecting democracy is not limited to one level of government. The V-Dem Institute’s March 2026 report found that American democratic decline is outpacing Putin, Erdogan, and Orban. Freedom House downgraded us from a liberal democracy for the first time in over 50 years. I’m asking you to act on five specific, constitutional, bipartisan demands. 1. Pass the PRESS Act. The FBI raided a Washington Post reporter’s home. The AP was banned from the White House. The U.S. dropped to 57th out of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index. The PRESS Act passed the House unanimously in 2024, co-sponsored by Republican Kevin Kiley and Democrat Jamie Raskin. A previous version passed 398-21 with Mike Pence’s sponsorship. State legislators should pass or strengthen state shield laws now. 2. Require congressional authorization for war. The Iran operations launched February 28 have killed 13 American service members and sent oil past $100 a barrel. Congress never voted. The White House said authorization “is not necessary.” Bipartisan war powers resolutions from McGovern and Massie already exist. The next president could be from either party. This check will matter then. State legislatures should pass resolutions demanding Congress reclaim its war authority. 3. Restore inspector general independence. Seventeen IGs were fired on a single night in January 2025 without the legally required 30-day notice to Congress. Over 75 percent of IG positions sat vacant by year’s end. Republican Chuck Grassley publicly called the firings illegal. The Grassley-Peters Securing Inspector General Independence Act already exists. IGs catch billions in waste and fraud regardless of who holds the White House. 4. Enforce compliance with court orders. The administration deported 250 people to El Salvador’s mega-prison after a court ordered it to stop. A judge found probable cause of contempt. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in Abrego Garcia that the government must return a wrongly deported man. The administration delayed for months. Eighty-one percent of Americans agree the executive branch must follow court rulings. No federal law currently enforces that. Pass one. State attorneys general should keep filing suits to defend the rule of law. 5. Protect the right to peaceful assembly. Before the first No Kings march, the president said protesters “will be met with very big force.” Since 2017, 45 states have considered 384 bills restricting protest rights. Federal agents have deployed tear gas and flashbangs against demonstrators. Congress should codify federal protections and ban unidentified federal agents from being used against civilians. State legislatures should reject every anti-protest bill on their desks. Speaking out should never mean losing your life. Poland reversed its democratic backsliding. South Korea did it too. Both required citizens who refused to stop showing up and elected officials who chose country over party. That is what we’re asking of you. We will remember who acted and who looked away.