To the editor:
Americans are divided on many issues, but most Americans value our democracy.
What makes the United States a great country is our government with three co-equal branches. It is a basis on which this country was founded. Some of us have family members who served in wars to defend our democracy.
Conflicts among the executive, legislative and judicial branches are common in any administration. But in the last few months, an unprecedented 174 court cases have questioned whether the firing of federal workers, freezing of federal funds and shuttering of long-running federal offices are unlawful actions of Trump and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump and Musk have called for impeaching judges who issue rulings “against” them. This triggered a rare statement from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts who said, “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”
House GOP leaders, including our own 8th District Congressman Jason Smith, are now trying to weaken the federal judiciary with proposals to limit their reach, cut funding, impeach judges or eliminate district courts. The No Rogue Rulings Act of 2025 passed in the House 219-213 (party line vote). A companion bill in the Senate was introduced by Missouri’s Josh Hawley. “Rogue
Rulings” is a misnomer designed to discredit court findings that conflict with Republican interests. The bill would limit the power of the 677 District Court judges to issue injunctions that restrict those beyond the parties directly involved in a case, effectively blocking nationwide injunctions. Its passage would throw the whole judicial system into disarray.
Congressman Issa (Republican), the bill sponsor, says it is needed due to rogue activist judges who are stopping the President from carrying out his policy agenda. Congressman Raskin (Democrat), says, “It proves just the opposite, that the president is engaged in terribly lawless and irresponsible violations of people’s rights — whether that’s trying to nullify the citizenship of millions of people by deleting the birthright citizenship clause or dismantling federally created, congressionally created agencies and departments.”
Passage of the No Rogue Rulings Act could lead to further weakening of the judicial branch, a concern regardless of party affiliation. Such legislative and executive collaboration risks severely undermining the judiciary's role in checks and balances, potentially paving the way for autocracy or oligarchy under any future unified government.
When we follow the rule of law and use checks and balances, we make sure our democracy is fair, strong and protects everyone’s rights. It keeps power in the hands of the people, prevents corruption and helps our country run smoothly.
We should all remember the hard-fought battles and many lives lost to create and preserve the American experiment. Let’s stay engaged and make our voices heard.
