A Vote Against Dictatorship This Thursday

President Trump’s budget office this week issued an unconstitutional order to indefinitely pause all government grants and loans that Trump’s political appointees deem inconsistent with the President’s priorities - “including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernment organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.”

Russell Vaught is a leading advocate for the idea that the Constitution allows the President to “impound” spending that Congress has given final approval. The Senate will vote tomorrow on Vaught’s confirmation as director of Trump’s budget office. People who have Republican senators should contact them today to urge that they vote against Vaught’s confirmation. A vote for Vaught is a vote against the fiscal authority that our Constitution vests in Congress.

Most dictators come to power by winning elections and then asserting dictatorial powers. A number of Trump’s executive orders exceed his authority. A judge almost immediately put a hold on part of Monday’s OMB order, and the courts may rule against some of Trump’s other executive orders. But it’s hard to have faith that our current Supreme Court will restrain President Trump. 

Trump spoke to House Republicans at their retreat Monday evening. The retreat was held at Trump’s luxury golf club in Miami, a venue that shouted Trump’s intention to use his office as an opportunity to increase his own wealth. His speech rallied the House Republicans to approve the tax cuts and funding for immigration enforcement that he wants. The President made it clear that he expects House members to follow Speaker Johnson, and that he expects Speaker Johnson to do what the President wants.   

Trump suggested that he’d like to serve a third term. The Constitution clearly forbids that, but President Trump repeatedly asked the Speaker of the House whether there might be a way around this little problem. 

World Food Prize and Nobel Laureates Stress Agricultural Research

150 World Food Prize and Nobel Laureates have together called for an increase in funding for agricultural research. We released our statement last week in the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing Room. We argued that the world won’t be able to feed its people without increased agricultural research, focused on food-insecure parts of the world and climate resilience.

I’m pictured here with Dr. Cary Fowler, one of the current World Food Prize Laureates. He led the development of an international seed bank on an arctic island. Plant breeding depends on seed diversity, and the cold and isolation of Svalbard, Finland, now protects a global depository of crop-related seeds. Fowler also led the process of developing the Laureates’ statement on agricultural research.

There will be huge pressure to cut government spending this year. But I was encouraged by supportive remarks at this event from Senator Amy Klobuchar, now Ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Representative Jim Baird, Republican member of the House committees on Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, and Science, Space and Technology.

2 Priorities for the Next President and Congress

Congress and the new administration are setting their policy agenda—an agenda that will shape the future of programs for people who experience hunger and poverty. Together, as a collective Christian witness, we have the opportunity to speak truth to power and urge our nation’s leaders to act with compassion and justice.

This week, the Circle of Protection—a diverse coalition of Christian leaders—sent President Donald Trump and members of Congress a letter outlining two key priorities for the next administration and Congress. These priorities, grounded in scripture, reflect a shared commitment to building a more just and equitable society.

The letter calls on our elected leaders to:

1. Protect and fund programs that help people in poverty. Robustly fund poverty-related programs, such as housing and international aid, and oppose cuts to vital programs like SNAP that prevent hunger and poverty from worsening.

2. Support tax policies that reduces poverty. Expand the Child Tax Credit and ensure the tax system supports families with low incomes while asking more from those with greater financial resources.

   
   

These priorities reflect God’s call to care for those in need and to work toward justice for all. The full letter and more information are available at circleofprotection.us.