Letters Editor’s Note: We received this letter and wonder what you think. Amid a government shutdown that shows little signs of ending, the elected members of the U.S. House and Senate are still drawing paychecks. The same can’t be said for the hundreds of thousands of government employees who were either furloughed or required to work without pay. Add to that the hiatus in the U.S. House because House Speaker Mike Johnson is reluctant to call members back to work because of the recent special election in Arizona that tips the scale on a vote to release the Epstein files.
So, check out the letter and let us know if the writer’s on point, or off-base? Then, hit us back in the poll below:
Why are we paying for Congress?
I have written repeatedly to Sens. Rick Scott, Ashley Moody and Rep. Brian Mast asking a simple question: Where is their line in the sand when it comes to the disastrous and often illegal actions of the Trump Administration? They do not respond. This administration has installed the most unqualified cabinet in modern history — men and women who sycophantically bask in the stench of ego rather than the aroma of expertise or public service.
Donald Trump and his administration are systematically dismantling our democracy. This administration has weaponized the Department of Justice in ways never before thought possible and Trump has unleashed questionable fiscal policies of tariffs and economic cronyism.
Where is the oversight? Congress, particularly Republican members, has largely abdicated its role as a co-equal branch of government. They have abrogated their constitutional duties to check the administration’s abuse of power. Moody and Mast will be up for reelection in 2026. Neither should be sent back to Washington. They have failed to honor their oath to uphold the Constitution or defend the rule of law. Their silence and complicity should not be rewarded.
Lionel V. Silvester, Singer Island
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tell us what you think. Why are we paying for Congress? | Letter
Reporting by Lionel V. Silverster / Palm Beach Post
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