Republican leaders in Congress correctly noted that Democrats crossed the Rubicon with the wrongful conviction of former President Donald Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (D-Lausanne) said the lawsuit was “politically motivated from the start.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) called the verdict a “disgrace” and said the trial “should never have taken place.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said the court’s decision was “further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents.”
Anyone paying attention must be deeply disturbed by what Joe Biden and the Democrats are doing to our country, and properly identifying the problem through such strongly worded condemnation is a necessary first step. But the unlawful prosecution of Trump has put the republic in a bind.
The time has come to take appropriate action.
Some members of Congress have offered ideas. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and 12 of his Republican colleagues signed a letter promising several actions, including using budget power to curb partisan legislation, vetoing Biden administration nominees, and blocking consideration of certain bills. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has proposed using the appropriations process to cut funding for politicized prosecutions and curb abuses by federal law enforcement agencies, including Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Others in the movement have good ideas. Mike Howell, executive director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, said: Innovative Special Legislative AdvisorThe House has given it significant staff and resources to investigate partisan legislation and election interference, with the power to issue subpoenas, take depositions, refer criminal cases to state and local officials, and use Congress’ contempt and litigation powers to hold them accountable. These efforts would greatly enhance the House’s oversight functions and could be fully funded with the millions of dollars in unspent funds made available by the January 6th shutdown of committees.
These are good ideas worth supporting, but the seriousness and gravity of what happened in New York requires us to go further.
Congress should first pass a resolution declaring to the American people that Biden and the Democratic Party, by prosecuting his main political opponent, have violated fundamental principles necessary for our republic to function and have lost their moral authority to lead.
The House should then pass a continuing resolution to fund the government, finalize the reauthorization of the National Defense Authorization Act, and do everything absolutely necessary to winterize Congress, before declaring the effective end of President Biden’s term and leaving Congress.
Congress should not spend any more time naming the Post Office or dealing with a messaging bill that the Senate will never take up anyway. The Senate should not vote to confirm Biden’s judicial nominees. Our elected representatives should go home and talk to the American people about the dangerous precedent Democrats have just set and further delegitimize this administration.
The Presidency, more than any other office, is expected to serve the interests of Americans, regardless of who they voted for or what party they belong to. As Commander in Chief of the military and head of the Department of Justice, with the power to appoint judges and federal prosecutors across the nation, the American people must trust the President to exercise these powers fairly.
The prosecution of Trump is a blatantly anti-democratic political ploy that goes beyond the bounds of the law. But it is also a grave violation of the public trust. A man worthy of the presidency would recognize this and demand an end to the investigation and prosecution of Trump. In the tradition of Washington, Madison, and Jefferson, such a president would declare that even a hint of partisan political prosecution is unbecoming of America and must not be tolerated.
Instead, Joe Biden is campaigning on Trump’s conviction in New York, which he acknowledged was legitimate and now seeks to profit from.
Members of Congress should not make the mistake of waiting for an election to resolve this issue, doing things as they have always done. Those who are not willing to fight now cannot be expected to fight when Trump is re-elected and a new battle for America’s future begins..
The extraordinary step of ending Congress early would be a proportionate response to the unprecedented prosecution of a sitting president’s political opponent in an election year. Importantly, it would shift the national debate back to where it should be: who we are, and who we are not.
The Declaration of Independence begins with the fundamental truth that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights by God, not by any government. The power of a government to wield its sword in justice and protect these rights comes from the consent of the people. But if the people believe that their government has become “destructive of these ends” and no longer consent to its rule, then that government is no longer legitimate.
That is why we must declare the end of President Biden’s term — to defuse, not increase, the political tensions that are rocking our nation. Our nation’s future depends on it.
Kevin Roberts, PhD American Heritage Action.
