I recently sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, in hopes that he will act to curb the excesses of the Trump administration. Here’s what I told him:
The Grand Old Party of Lincoln can regain the support of the American people — by reversing course. The House should impeach and the Senate should convict, removing the president from office. Republicans, in control of Congress, should act. They have a historic opportunity to prove their commitment to the nation and to the rule of law. I write simply as an American with a conscience.
What are Mr. Trump’s offenses? They are many and they are obvious. Set aside the pardoning of 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters who interrupted congressional proceedings in 2021. While profoundly immoral, it was legal — the president has the constitutional power. (Such a pardon was, however, the opposite of the GOP stance of wanting to be the “law and order” party.)
Here are several other acts that Congress should not ignore:
The president fired 17 inspectors general (the non-partisan purpose of whom is to guard against government waste and fraud) without giving Congress the required-by-law notice of 30 days, including cause of termination. Illegal — but not rising to the level of impeachment — though this was a harbinger of things to come.
Trump, under the guise of “government efficiency,” gutted and closed congressionally created agencies, such as USAID. Waste could have been cut without closing the entire agency — using a scalpel instead of an axe. The consequence of shuttering USAID has been the closing of many clinics and aid to needy people in many nations. This harms America’s international reputation. It transgresses congressional authority.
The president has turned the USA inside out, sowing hatred of foreigners, whom he has called “criminals, garbage and vermin.” Without evidence, he assures us that they are drug dealers and terrorists from prisons and insane asylums. He has sent masked ICE agents into American cities to hunt down immigrants, imprison them in substandard holding centers and deport them — without due process of law. Masked government agents shoving people into unmarked cars is authoritarianism. This is the opposite of the Statue of Liberty creed, “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” We are better than this.
The president has misused his power as commander-in-chief. He has activated and sent National Guard troops to American cities, where they are neither wanted nor needed. More ominously, he has ordered military strikes on non-combatants in international waters. Evidence of guilt has not been offered to the public. Even if the boats were carrying illegal drugs, they are criminals to be arrested, tried and, if convicted, sentenced. Killing non-combatants on the open sea is illegal. If a police officer shoots down a suspected criminal who presents no danger to himself, he is guilty of murder. The killing of non-combatants by the government is nothing other than murder on a larger scale. This is a “high crime and misdemeanor.” The president is not judge, jury and executioner. Nor is he king.
Trump and the Department of Defense have accepted a $400 million dollar plane to become Air Force One, in spite of the bi-partisan Congressional reservations about legality and security. This violates Art. II, sec. 6, which forbids “any other emolument” to be received.
The president has frequently called the press “the enemy of the American people,” in defiance of the First Amendment, which guarantees the freedom of the press. What the president calls “fake news” is often nothing more than accurate coverage he dislikes. He has limited access to the White House of news outlets that do not conform to his unilateral re-naming the Gulf of Mexico. He has restricted the press from covering the Pentagon, requiring them to submit to unreasonable rules of reporting. These actions violate the First Amendment.
He has imposed tariffs on foreign nations, friend and foe. This violates the constitution and the long history of the nation. Tariff debates were many and heated in Congress throughout our history. Article I, Section 8. 1. states: “The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises …” The president has no power to impose taxes. Full stop. The president has violated the constitution and created havoc for American businesses and for international trade by his on-again, off-again illegal tariffs.
The president, with the cooperation of the attorney general, has made the Justice Deptartment an instrument of his will, attacking his political opponents. This egregious abuse of power has been very public. By executive order, he has pressured law firms to bend to his policies. This compromises the independence of the judiciary, violates the law, and the constitution. Making the Department of Justice an instrument of political vengeance is clearly an impeachable offence that must be addressed.
I remind you of Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee, who as vice-chair of the Senate Committee investigating Watergate, was committed to the truth. Though investigating a fellow Republican, he wanted to know what President Richard Nixon had done. His role was crucial.
What does it mean to be a member of the United States Congress? It is a high calling and responsibility. The duty of members of Congress is to the Constitution and to the people. I call upon the Republicans in Congress to assert their authority, to follow their conscience, the law and the facts.
They are in office for such a time as this.