Barbara Swier: How can Trump ignore overwhelming will of Congress
I fear for our democracy. Never have I experienced a president who blatantly says he will not abide by our Constitution; that laws passed can be ignored. Last July, Congress almost unanimously voted for sanctions on Russia – 98-2 in the Senate and 419-3 in the House.
Our Constitution set up checks and balances which make the judiciary, congress and president equal in power. If Congress passes a law, the president can veto it, but Congress can override that veto with enough votes. In this case, there were far too many votes for Trump to veto it, so the sanctions became law. Yet, he declared this past week that he will not impose sanctions.
He won’t what?
Are we to believe taht our government will not follow the law passed regarding the sanctions because Trump just decides? How does Trump stop the sanctions which are now law? Do we now have a dictator? Why have a Congress at all? Unless Congress stops this flagrant disregard of the law, I foresee much grief for our children in this country. This is a dangerous precedent. Congress must unify to protect our democracy, no matter which party is in the White House.
Barbara Swier, Hughson
This story was originally published February 5, 2018 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Barbara Swier: How can Trump ignore overwhelming will of Congress."