To the editor,

As Congress faces a January 30 deadline to pass the FY2026 budget, one imperative must guide its work: we cannot allow a repeat of last year’s disorder.

The Trump Administration’s illegal impoundments and partisan rescissions this year were not technical skirmishes over process. They were a direct affront to Congress’s constitutional authority. When an administration defies the law and withholds funds that Congress has lawfully appropriated, it strikes at the core of our constitutional system.

Our democracy endures only when each branch honors its defined role. When that balance is breached, public trust erodes, government grinds toward dysfunction, and the rule of law is weakened.

As lawmakers finalize the budget, I urge them to defend the Constitution by embedding clear, enforceable safeguards that prevent any administration from nullifying the will of Congress. Passing a budget is not enough; it must be one that cannot be ignored. The stability of our democracy depends on it.

Sincerely,

William Deignan
Medford, MA