Board of the Red River Valley League of Women Voters

Randilyn Dombek, president, Board of the Red River Valley League of Women Voters, West F; Denise A. Dykeman, president, Board of Plum Valley LWV, Minot; Kim Lee, president, Board of Bismarck-Mandan LWV, Bismarck; Barb Headrick, president, Board of League of Women Voters of North Dakota, Fargo.

On the 105th anniversary of its founding, February 14, the League of Women Voters sent a letter to Congressional leadership regarding the state of our democracy, signed by every state chapter and the national board. The League of Women Voters of the Red River Valley, with members from both Minnesota and North Dakota also wishes to stand publicly in support of the letter.

The League urged Congress to exercise its authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach that the Executive Branch has recently shown. We are equally concerned by the executive orders (EOs) that include actions that violate the law and encroach upon the authority of Congress, including::

1. End birthright citizenship for all persons born in the United States;

2. Pause the distribution of federal funds already allocated to programs by Congress;

3. Dismantle federal agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (“USAID”) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), which require notice to and the input of Congress before such actions can be taken;

4. Allow private citizens, who have neither been elected or complied with the advice and consent

requirement of the Senate, to access sensitive government systems; and

5. Reduce the federal workforce in potentially illegal methods that deny employees due process.

These actions negatively affect services received by citizens of the Red River Valley; from farmers to New Americans to Veterans to nursing homes receiving Medicaid funds to senior citizens on Social Security. We call upon the Congressional representatives of both North Dakota and Minnesota to protect our democracy.

ND Senator(s) Cramer, and Hoeven; MN Senator(s) Klobuchar and Smith as well as Representatives Fischbach (MN CD 07) and Fedorchak (ND) must do their part to ensure that our democracy is preserved and safeguarded.