Congress, the ongoing budget stalemate is more than a fight over numbers — it’s a test of whether our government still serves the people or bends to executive manipulation and secrecy. As you work toward a new resolution, I urge you to include three essential provisions that restore fairness, transparency, and constitutional balance.
First, make the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits permanent. These expanded benefits have made health insurance affordable for millions of Americans. If allowed to expire next year, families across the country will face crushing premium hikes or lose coverage entirely. Health care security should never be held hostage to partisan negotiations.
Second, ensure full release of the Epstein files — with only minimal redactions to protect victims. The heavily redacted document dumps to date have left the public without real accountability. We have a right to know who used power or privilege to evade justice. This is not about politics; it’s about truth and the moral integrity of our institutions.
Third, prohibit the president’s use of so-called “pocket rescissions” to withhold or cancel spending that Congress has already approved. This tactic violates the Constitution’s separation of powers and undermines the authority of the legislative branch. No president should be allowed to override Congress’s decisions by refusing to spend appropriated funds.
The next budget resolution must protect not only our economy, but also the principles that define our democracy — fair access to health care, transparency in justice, and respect for Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. Please act now to ensure these three protections are included in any final agreement.
First sent on October 9 by Coleman
