A republic, if you can keep it...🖊️
“A republic, if you can keep it.”
– Benjamin Franklin, Sept.17, 1787
Dear Neighbor,
Four years ago, nearly to the day, I stood on the floor of the United States Senate to deliver opening arguments as a prosecutor in the second impeachment trial of President Trump. Despite the criticisms and death threats we received for doing so, my colleagues and I detailed to the country the dangers that would follow if members of the Senate abdicated their constitutional duty. As you know, the warnings offered by myself, Rep. Jamie Raskin, and our fellow impeachment managers, were ignored.
Over the past two weeks, many across our country, myself included, have watched with alarm as President Trump and his administration throw the Federal government into chaos — pardoning violent felons who assaulted police officers on January 6th, issuing unlawful directives and unconstitutional executive orders, attempting to unilaterally shut-down statutorily authorized agencies, providing unfettered access to some of the nation’s most critical payment and personnel systems, and illegally freezing funding appropriated by Congress for critical services and programs that Coloradans rely upon.
Taken together, the actions make clear that Benjamin Franklin’s admonition above — that we protect our republic and system of constitutional government — will be tested in the months and years ahead. As we embark on that road together, please know that I am focused, as always, on serving each and every member of our community and protecting the people of Colorado.
In my view, that means:
Using every tool. We must utilize every legislative and oversight tool available in the House of Representatives to oppose any unlawful actions that would harm our community and our state. As a member of the Rules and Judiciary Committees, in particular, I will work to do just that, including by introducing legislation and amendments, utilizing our communication tools (as we did to help stop the unlawful OMB funding freeze last week and the reckless tariffs that were paused yesterday), and through the upcoming appropriation and budget reconciliation processes. House Minority Leader Jeffries has released a letter that details several strategies, which you can access HERE.
Keeping our community informed. Over the past two weeks, I’ve heard from countless constituents — federal workers, Dreamers, nonprofit employees, and more — who are directly impacted by the administration’s actions. Please continue to share your stories with us and know that we will stay in close communication. To that end, my team has compiled a list of resources for folks to utilize (you can access it HERE), which we’ll continue to update in the weeks ahead. Our office is also hosting Mobile Office Hours in Boulder and Fort Collins this week, which we encourage you to attend (you can sign up at the links above).
Leading locally. I’ve always believed that I have the responsibility to be present in, and responsive to, our community — all 11 counties and the over 40 towns and cities in our incredible district. It’s why we’ve hosted a record number of town-halls, year after year, and more than any member of Colorado’s congressional delegation. This past week, we continued that effort, holding three town-halls in a single day — in Fort Collins, Estes Park, and Longmont (it was a packed day!) In total, nearly 600 constituents attended to make their voices heard and to share their concerns, ideas, and suggestions, which was incredibly helpful to me and my team. We’ll be hosting more town-halls in the coming months, so please stay tuned.
There is much work to be done, and the stakes are high. But we are all in this together, which is why we want to hear from YOU. Keep sending us your thoughts and insights, your ideas and suggestions, and your concerns and complaints (those too!)
Every week that I’ve had the privilege of serving as your Congressman, I’ve always ended my newsletter to our community with the same seven-word request — stay safe, stay healthy, and stay hopeful. I recognize it is difficult to be hopeful at such a precarious time, and that it may be an impossible request for some. But as the late Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
So please, stay hopeful — and let’s help others in our community do the same.
Sincerely,
Joe Neguse