A Letter to United States Representative Jen Kiggans

Here is a letter I’ve sent to my Representative, Jennifer Kiggans. I’ll post any response I receive when it arrives.

Dear Representative Kiggans,

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the unconstitutional actions taken by President Donald Trump to override legislative authority. Specifically, I would like to understand what actions you are currently taking—or plan to take—to prevent such overreach and uphold the role of Congress in our government.

President Trump has made unlawful budget cuts and program reductions that were allocated and mandated by Congress. These actions have had an immediate and harmful impact on the residents of Hampton Roads. Families are losing jobs, children with special needs are losing critical support, and essential government services are being disrupted.

I recently read about a neighbor who works at NASA. He was recently promoted into a new role after years of diligence and hard work. However, due to his probationary status in the new role, he has now been informed that he will likely be laid off as a direct result of the Trump administration’s actions. Instead of being rewarded for his hard work, he is facing job loss due to unlawful executive overreach. He is not alone. This story is shared by thousands of Americans across Virginia.

If you do not intend to take action to oppose these violations of congressional authority, I must ask: What do you see as your role and responsibility in Congress if the President is allowed to ignore budgets and legislation passed by the legislature? Why should Congress exist at all if its mandates can be disregarded without consequence?

I urge you to take a stand in defense of the Constitution and the legislative branch’s authority. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Tristan Pressley

Note: Image for this post provided for free by Joel Moysuh under the Unsplash License