Congressional Republicans Have Failed the Nation

Congressional Republicans Have Failed the Nation.

They Don’t Deserve to Govern

It is increasingly clear that the U.S. war of choice against Iran was a monumental mistake. The fateful decision to go to war was made by one man: Donald Trump. However, the Constitution gives Congress, and Congress alone, the authority to declare war. No one should expect Trump to feel constrained by the Constitution or any other law.

But Congress could push back. It could hold hearings on Trump’s failure to seek Congressional approval for his war. It could refuse to confirm Trump’s nominees, or deny Trump’s request to increase the Pentagon’s budget, until he seeks Congressional approval for the war. Democrats favor such pressure. Republicans, who control both Houses of Congress, do not.

Trump Rarely Asks for Permission

Trump’s usual way of doing business is to act unilaterally, by-passing Congress even if the Constitution or federal law requires otherwise. Among other things, he has ended federal programs and dismantled federal agencies that were established and funded by Congress. Last year, the Administration eliminated over 80% of USAID’s programs and transferred responsibility for the remaining programs to the State Department. In February 2025, soon after Trump had empowered DOGE to dismantle USAID, 66 Democrats and zero Republicans co-sponsored H.R. 1196, which sought to assert Congress’s power of the purse to deny funding for the elimination of the agency. The bill went nowhere in the Republican-controlled House.

These unlawful actions have profound ramifications on lives throughout the world. Just this past week, the Washinton Post and other publications reported that cutbacks by DOGE to USAID may have contributed to the spread of Ebola in Africa and beyond.

Congressional Republicans Won’t Stand Up to Trump

Republicans in Congress have done nothing—and, as long as Trump holds sway over most Republican primary voters, will do nothing—to assert Congress’s authority against Trump’s numerous encroachments. Only in recent days has Republican subservience to Trump shown the slightest glimmer. Several Republications are pushing back on the creation of Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund, which would allow the unauthorized transfer of large sums of taxpayer money to individuals convicted of assaulting police officers and related crimes. The deal Trump negotiated with himself would also immunize him from civil and criminal liability under federal tax law for past acts. Perhaps this Trump self-serving maneuver is too much even for the generally subservient GOP in Congress.

Notwithstanding this mini-rebellion, what explains this extraordinary unwillingness of the Republican Congress to challenge Trump, even when their own authority is being hijacked? One answer certainly must be that Trump is willing and able to seek retribution against anyone who crosses him. Witness the recent Indiana state senate primaries, in which 5 of the 7 incumbents who had bucked Trump’s request to gerrymander congressional districts, lost to a Trump-backed challenger. Likewise, in recent primaries, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to impeach Trump for the January 6 insurrection, and Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who broke with Trump over the release of the Epstein files, the Iran war, and government spending, both lost to opponents endorsed by Trump. Even though Trump’s polling among Democrats and Independents is highly unfavorable, he maintains a loyal following among GOP primary voters. This enables him to rule over his party and the Republican Congressional majority with an iron fist.

The High Cost of Congressional Inaction

Our Constitution shrewdly set up a system of checks and balances to assure that no one branch of government amasses too much power. Congress’ ability to make laws, engage in oversight and control federal spending is the core of how the President’s powers are checked. When it fails to exercise those powers, the implications can be profound.

The New York Times has been tracking 12 benchmarks in America’s slide toward autocracy. One benchmark is Trump’s bypassing of Congress. The Times, through its Editorial Board, has now rated this benchmark a 5 out of 10 (up from 4) after Congress’s abdication of its responsibility to declare, or refuse to declare, war against Iran. (To read the Editorial Board’s article, click HERE.)

Congressional Republicans are abetting our slide toward autocracy. They are doing nothing to uphold Congress’s authority against Trump’s encroachments. Their complicity highlights the critical importance of the midterm elections, which are now just over 5 months away. We desperately need a Congress that will assert its role in our constitutional system—including as a check on presidential overreach—not a Congress that stands aside as Trump tramples on its authority to the serious detriment of Americans and indeed many outside the US.

The midterm elections are THE opportunity to return control of Congress to the Democrats. Only with Democrats in control will Congress reassert its constitutional role, stand up for the American people, and reign in Trump’s corruption, lawlessness and autocratic actions.

What Next?

Over the next several months, we will be rolling out state-by-state recommendations on both races where your financial support can make a difference and in some states, also grassroots groups that are working to get out the vote. Our candidate recommendations will be based on analysis of the electoral landscape in the state or Congressional district and will be limited to seats we are at risk of losing or that we can flip.

As we frequently have written, grassroots groups are important because they have a unique ability to develop relationships with voters over time, making the groups credible and influential voices with voters at election time. This relationship-building through repeated interactions and communications over time—about issues and topics of interest and concern to the demographic the group focuses on—cannot be replicated by a political campaign.

Your participation in this election could not be more important.

They Don’t Deserve to Govern

It is increasingly clear that the U.S. war of choice against Iran was a monumental mistake. The fateful decision to go to war was made by one man: Donald Trump. However, the Constitution gives Congress, and Congress alone, the authority to declare war. No one should expect Trump to feel constrained by the Constitution or any other law.

But Congress could push back. It could hold hearings on Trump’s failure to seek Congressional approval for his war. It could refuse to confirm Trump’s nominees, or deny Trump’s request to increase the Pentagon’s budget, until he seeks Congressional approval for the war. Democrats favor such pressure. Republicans, who control both Houses of Congress, do not.

Trump Rarely Asks for Permission

Trump’s usual way of doing business is to act unilaterally, by-passing Congress even if the Constitution or federal law requires otherwise. Among other things, he has ended federal programs and dismantled federal agencies that were established and funded by Congress. Last year, the Administration eliminated over 80% of USAID’s programs and transferred responsibility for the remaining programs to the State Department. In February 2025, soon after Trump had empowered DOGE to dismantle USAID, 66 Democrats and zero Republicans co-sponsored H.R. 1196, which sought to assert Congress’s power of the purse to deny funding for the elimination of the agency. The bill went nowhere in the Republican-controlled House.

These unlawful actions have profound ramifications on lives throughout the world. Just this past week, the Washinton Post and other publications reported that cutbacks by DOGE to USAID may have contributed to the spread of Ebola in Africa and beyond.

Congressional Republicans Won’t Stand Up to Trump

Republicans in Congress have done nothing—and, as long as Trump holds sway over most Republican primary voters, will do nothing—to assert Congress’s authority against Trump’s numerous encroachments. Only in recent days has Republican subservience to Trump shown the slightest glimmer. Several Republications are pushing back on the creation of Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund, which would allow the unauthorized transfer of large sums of taxpayer money to individuals convicted of assaulting police officers and related crimes. The deal Trump negotiated with himself would also immunize him from civil and criminal liability under federal tax law for past acts. Perhaps this Trump self-serving maneuver is too much even for the generally subservient GOP in Congress.

Notwithstanding this mini-rebellion, what explains this extraordinary unwillingness of the Republican Congress to challenge Trump, even when their own authority is being hijacked? One answer certainly must be that Trump is willing and able to seek retribution against anyone who crosses him. Witness the recent Indiana state senate primaries, in which 5 of the 7 incumbents who had bucked Trump’s request to gerrymander congressional districts, lost to a Trump-backed challenger. Likewise, in recent primaries, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to impeach Trump for the January 6 insurrection, and Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who broke with Trump over the release of the Epstein files, the Iran war, and government spending, both lost to opponents endorsed by Trump. Even though Trump’s polling among Democrats and Independents is highly unfavorable, he maintains a loyal following among GOP primary voters. This enables him to rule over his party and the Republican Congressional majority with an iron fist.

The High Cost of Congressional Inaction

Our Constitution shrewdly set up a system of checks and balances to assure that no one branch of government amasses too much power. Congress’ ability to make laws, engage in oversight and control federal spending is the core of how the President’s powers are checked. When it fails to exercise those powers, the implications can be profound.

The New York Times has been tracking 12 benchmarks in America’s slide toward autocracy. One benchmark is Trump’s bypassing of Congress. The Times, through its Editorial Board, has now rated this benchmark a 5 out of 10 (up from 4) after Congress’s abdication of its responsibility to declare, or refuse to declare, war against Iran. (To read the Editorial Board’s article, click HERE.)

Congressional Republicans are abetting our slide toward autocracy. They are doing nothing to uphold Congress’s authority against Trump’s encroachments. Their complicity highlights the critical importance of the midterm elections, which are now just over 5 months away. We desperately need a Congress that will assert its role in our constitutional system—including as a check on presidential overreach—not a Congress that stands aside as Trump tramples on its authority to the serious detriment of Americans and indeed many outside the US.

The midterm elections are THE opportunity to return control of Congress to the Democrats. Only with Democrats in control will Congress reassert its constitutional role, stand up for the American people, and reign in Trump’s corruption, lawlessness and autocratic actions.

What Next?

Over the next several months, we will be rolling out state-by-state recommendations on both races where your financial support can make a difference and in some states, also grassroots groups that are working to get out the vote. Our candidate recommendations will be based on analysis of the electoral landscape in the state or Congressional district and will be limited to seats we are at risk of losing or that we can flip.

As we frequently have written, grassroots groups are important because they have a unique ability to develop relationships with voters over time, making the groups credible and influential voices with voters at election time. This relationship-building through repeated interactions and communications over time—about issues and topics of interest and concern to the demographic the group focuses on—cannot be replicated by a political campaign.

Your participation in this election could not be more important.