To The Readers’ Forum:

Congressman Langworthy:

Our country needs you to stand up for what is right and what our country stands for. What is happening in Minneapolis and other cities is not right. I agree that some undocumented immigrants need to be deported, expeditiously if possible, but not at the expense of the rights of the majority of law abiding, tax paying individuals. The current administration has basically sent federally approved thugs to rampage recklessly through cities causing tremendous damage to people and property and costing innocent lives.

Congress needs to step up and do their job. Congress needs to demand evidence that the boats being destroyed off Venezuela and in the Pacific are in fact carrying drugs. If they are, there should be floating debris that includes bricks of cocaine. Our military is killing people in our name without evidence. That needs to stop.

You want healthcare reform? Pass a bill.

You want immigration reform? Pass a bill.

You want war in Iran? Pass a bill.

You want to buy Greenland? Pass a bill.

You want real tax reform? Pass a bill.

You want tariffs on China? Pass a bill.

You want tariffs on everyone? Pass a bill.

You want a new ballroom? Pass a bill.

You want Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center? Pass a bill.

You want to eliminate the Department of Education? Pass a bill.

You Republicans hold the House, the Senate, and the White House, yet you can not muster the courage to pass a bill that might annoy the dear leader, no matter how minor.

The First Article of the Constitution creates Congress and gives it the power to lay and collect taxes (including tariffs or duties). It does not give Congress the power to delegate that authority to anyone, not even to the president. It says “shall have power to lay and collect taxes…”, not may have power. This “unitary executive theory” is a figment of some right wing nut job that wants to make the United States a dictatorship like Russia, China, and North Korea.

Note carefully that Congress was created before the Office of the President, which was created in Article 2. That is because the president’s job is to execute the will of Congress, not to direct Congress to do his will.

Daniel E. Olson

Jamestown