Dear Editor,
Perhaps a Republican can explain to me WHY Trump keeps running against law and order. Judges coast to coast are halting Trump’s actions because they VIOLATE THE LAW. But WHY is it that the Republicans don’t do what it takes to make Trump’s actions LEGAL? After all, they hold majority in BOTH houses of Congress; they can pass whatever legislation they want to.
WHY would Congress not make DOGE an official governmental department, making the head person Secretary of DOGE, a cabinet position? Then it would have the authority of being properly and Constitutionally formed, and the President could sign it into law. Why not DO this? How long could it take to put the bill forward and vote on it? Surely Trump would sign it??
Why not simply pass legislation to simply dissolve USAID, the Department of Education, FEMA, and every other department Trump wants to get rid of? Why go through the pain and confusion of firings and laying off and forcing resignations and offering early retirements and padlocking doors and pulling signs off of buildings and all the chaos? Why would Congress not consult with the president, get a list of agencies to be liquidated, write up and pass that legislation? That would make all these actions LEGIT. WHY doesn’t this Congress legitimize Trump’s actions?
Failing that, the GOP Congressional majority could simply revisit the legislation that formed, say, USAID, and add an amendment that says the President can dissolve the organization at any time for any reason. The Congress has Constitutional power to make such changes in legislation they have passed in the past, by simple amendment and majority vote – WHICH THEY HAVE. So, it’s a mystery: WHY would they NOT exercise their power to give approval to everything Trump and Musk are doing? Then courts wouldn’t even get involved. The law would be clear that Trump has Congressional approval to do what he’s doing. Have Republicans in Congress FORGOTTEN that they have the power to make all the illegal things Trump and Musk are trying to do … that they have the power to make those things LEGAL?
One thing Congress CANNOT do is abdicate the power of the purse to the Presidency; if Trump wants to impound funds or eliminate spending Congress has approved in the past, those “purse related” issues can be dealt with swiftly as they come up, with the Republican majority Congress siding with Trump on all spending issues, one piece of legislation at a time.
A previous Congress tried to give a (Republican) President line-item-veto power over a budget passed by Congress, and the Supreme Court said “NO!” – the power of the purse was a vital factor in the checks and balances of the American System, and Congress could not Constitutionally abdicate that responsibility.
Congress members take an oath (to GOD) to uphold the Constitution, and that Constitution mandates that the President “take care the laws are faithfully executed.” But just because Trump isn’t adhering to his oath, that does not mean that each Congressperson isn’t held by oath to make sure government actions are LEGAL. So, it seems a simple solution: Just sign off by majority approved legislation on everything Trump and Musk are doing.
So please, ANY REPUBLICAN, explain to me WHY Congress would not do this? I’m baffled.
Jeff Harrison
Buffalo, Texas
