Congressional oversight in times of Trump

I've written to you recently about my growing concerns about the Trump administration's failure to respect separation of powers: the heavily redacted Mueller Report, shocking conditions at the tent cities at the border, dodging subpoenas – and the list goes on.

Congressional oversight is a critical part of the checks and balances that are designed under our constitution to maintain our system of separation of powers.

My concerns escalate when I think about President Trump in wartime. In an era of devastating weapons and increasingly-advanced armed forces, declaring war must be done only by Congress and only after a full debate.

War should happen only as a last resort, when all other options are exhausted, and, as the constitution lays out, with the consent of the elected members of Congress.

President Trump's bombastic use of Twitter and desire to consolidate executive power are putting America's safety at risk and making a mockery of our constitutional system of checks and balances.

It's time for the House to reassert that the power to declare and wage war belongs in the hands of the elected leaders in Congress. Sign the petition: stand up for a safer America right now; tell Congress to reassert its power to declare war.

Congress must fulfill our constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch as a co-equal branch of our government – especially in terms of national security and the safety of American families.

Thank you,

Suzanne