1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

The Supreme Court's recent refusal to lift a lower court order unfreezing $2 billion in foreign aid underscores the escalating constitutional crisis precipitated by the executive branch's defiance of Congress' power of the purse. This threatens the vital system of checks and balances at the foundation of American democracy. Upholding Congress' constitutional spending authority is imperative to preventing further consolidation of power in the presidency, inadvertently cementing an autocratic model that our founders expressly rejected. Our representatives must take decisive action to reassert Congress' rightful role in appropriations decisions, curtail executive overreach, and defend democratic governance and the rule of law before it is too late.