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Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Albert Lea Union Center, 1407 State Highway 13, a meeting will be held to organize a local working group to provide feedback to the Trump administration and Congress. The call for this meeting came from the monthly Freeborn County Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party coffee group that meets on the first Saturday of each month. The next coffee/breakfast of the Freeborn County Democrats is Saturday, April 5, at 10 a.m. at Main Street Restaurant in Albert Lea.

In response to the Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28th with President Trump, Vice President Vance and Ukrainian President Zelensky, the coffee group attendance tripled. Many new people showed up to share their concerns for what appeared to be an American breach of trust with Ukraine, NATO and Europe and the embrace of the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin.

Additional concerns were shared regarding the actions of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Topics included: Veteran’s health benefits, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, USAID, federal crop insurance, USDA Farm Service Agency, tariffs, trade war, 401(k) retirement savings, Canada/Mexico relationship, NATO, executive power and congressional duty.

A steering committee has identified the following sub-committee strategies: Town halls, local rallies, congressional office visits, young people group, issue forums and letters to the editor. New strategies brought to the meeting will be considered. Anyone is welcome regardless of political affiliation willing to support in good faith the above ideas. This will not be a town hall type event with an open microphone. This will be a working group and each sub-committee will report an action plan to the large group at the end of the meeting.

It is undoubtedly true that the United States is a constitutional republic, meaning the country rests its foundation on a constitution — the supreme law of the land. Moreover, a “republic” is a form of government where the people hold the power. However, the representatives that Americans democratically elect exercise that power and do so subject to the rules of the Constitution. It appears the executive branch has overstepped the boundaries of its power. It is the duty of Congress to push back and say no, Mr. President, you have gone too far.

On behalf of the steering committee,

Terry Gjersvik
Manchester Township