WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), led his Democratic committee colleagues in a letter calling on Chairman Rand Paul to convene an oversight hearing examining the Trump Administration’s refusal to comply with multiple federal court rulings posing a direct challenge to our nation’s constitutional system of checks and balances and rule of law. U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and John Fetterman (D-PA) joined Peters in signing the letter.
“President Trump’s actions threaten the system of checks and balances on which our country is founded. As Chairman of HSGAC, and as a steadfast advocate for Congress’ role as a co-equal branch of government, you are uniquely positioned to exercise the Committee’s authority and uphold its responsibility to keep the Administration accountable for these actions,” wrote the senators.
The senators’ letter details multiple cases where the Trump Administration has defied federal court orders, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
The senators continued: “In each of these instances, the Administration demonstrates its intention to upend our nation’s bedrock principles of checks and balances by placing the Executive Branch above the law and outside the reach of judicial orders.”
“These actions paint a grim picture of an Administration that is undermining the core principles of our democracy and violating the rights guaranteed in our Constitution,” the senators cautioned. “If Republican leaders in Congress fail to use their authority to protect our Constitutional rights, then they will embolden the President’s continued violation of the law.”
The senators are calling on Chairman Paul to convene a hearing on these concerns with key Administration officials, including Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Attorney General, Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director, Kash Patel and Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, to explain the Administration’s actions.
The full text of the letter is available here.
###