1. United States
2. R.I.
3. Letter

The Trump administration's actions to dismantle government agencies and programs without Congressional approval are a flagrant disregard for the separation of powers and Constitutional principles. Slashing the budgets and workforce of entities like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and U.S. Agency for International Development ignores legally binding spending directives passed by Congress. This overreach represents a direct attack on our democratic system of checks and balances. Republicans must work with Democrats to ensure the executive branch adheres to Congressionally approved spending legislation. If they fail to rein in this unconstitutional behavior, allowing the government to shut down is a justifiable response to protect the authority of the legislative branch. The American people deserve a federal government that operates within its lawful constraints, not an administration that undermines co-equal branches of government on a whim. Fiscal responsibility means funding what Congress has mandated, not indiscriminate cuts at the president's discretion. I urge taking whatever measures are necessary, including a government shutdown, to compel the Trump administration to follow the law and preserve critical government services for citizens. Executive overreach of this magnitude cannot be tolerated if we aim to uphold democratic norms and maintain a functional separation of powers.