My Turn: What a Democratic-controlled Congress should do

By John LeGates

Here’s what I want our Congress to do at noon on January 3, 2027:

• Reverse the wars on science and the universities. Restore funding, Cancel the “deals” that universities and law firms have made with the government and encourage the return of talented people who have left their posts.

• Stop the attacks and demands on the press, media, law firms, and others..

• Stop using government to harass persons that the President or a political party don’t like.

• Stop rewriting American history to fit a political agenda.

• Stop intervening in state elections.

• Restore the independence of the FBI, the Department of Justice, regulatory agencies, and other departments. Return jobs to good people who have left.

• Restore the offices throughout government that review the ethics and performance of departments.

• Restore and strengthen the rules governing conflicts of interest for government employees, including the Supreme Court.

• Review the rules on immigration. The goal is to accept in reasonable numbers people who will benefit our country.

• Reposition ICE to find “the worst of the worst” and remove them only after complete judicial review and due process. Offer a path to citizenship to immigrants who are here, legally or not, and have been lawful and productive citizens. Eliminate deportation quotas. Fix immigrant holding pens.

• Begin a comprehensive review of affirmative action and the role of government in it.

• Begin a comprehensive review of gerrymandering, election funding, and anything else that could distort voting equality.

• Restore full funding to national parks, monuments, and forests. Likewise restore full protection to areas of environmental value.

• End discriminatory support to suppliers and users of fossil fuels. Rejoin international organizations whose goal is to protect the planet.

• Declare unconditional support to Ukraine and other countries who need protection from Russian and Chinese adventurism. Continue restraints on Russia.

• Promote two goals for Iran: A promise to never seek nuclear weapons (already in place) and at-will unobstructed inspection and enforcement.

• Stop threats of American takeover of Canada, Greenland, Hormuz, Cuba, and anywhere else. Promote open elections in Venezuela and Cuba.

• Restore tariffs to their role of regulating trade. Stop using them as a bullying tool.

LeGates lives on Canaan Drive.

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“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnians. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.