Dear Community Member,

The cornerstone of our democracy is a robust and healthy system of checks and balances. That strength ensures that any branch of government, including the executive branch and regardless of party, does not act beyond its authority. Right now, our system of checks and balances is flexing its muscles.

Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has launched a number of executive orders that freeze federal funding, provide Elon Musk access to taxpayers' most personal information, strip away birthright citizenship, dismantle critical agencies, undermine the rule of law, and more.

We are fighting back, checking the administration, and already seeing results in our courts of law.

As I have laid out in previous emails, the United States House of Representatives continues to play its part in our system of checks and balances. We are fulfilling our oversight role with numerous inquiries and introducing a number of pieces of legislation to stop this administration’s executive actions. Unfortunately, the majority party in the House and the Senate will prevent this legislation from becoming law. Moreover, it has been determined based on legal precedent that members of the United States Congress do not have legal standing to bring lawsuits against the administration to block its actions. However, we are working closely with state attorneys general and other outside organizations who are filing lawsuits in our courts of law to stop the actions of this executive branch.

Thanks to this coordinated and swift legal action, multiple federal courts have already blocked some of President Trump’s extreme overreaches, including:

• Halting the repeal of birthright citizenship: Courts in Seattle and Maryland ruled that the president cannot strip away a constitutional right with an executive order.
• Blocking funding freezes: Courts have prevented the administration from withholding federal assistance from states and nonprofits that rely on those funds.
• Restricting Musk’s access to federal payment systems: Courts ruled against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s unlawful access to critical Treasury payment systems and sensitive information like Social Security numbers, Medicare information, and tax refunds. The court recognized the security risks posed by such unauthorized access.
• Blocking the Trump administration’s attack on USAID: Courts stopped the administration’s attempt to put thousands of USAID employees on leave, ensuring that critical humanitarian aid programs remain operational.
• Protecting healthcare: Courts stopped efforts to strip transgender individuals of their rights and healthcare.
• Delaying the administration’s actions against civil servants: Courts paused the administration’s mass buyout plan, giving federal workers more time and ensuring oversight of a rushed, reckless process.

While these victories are critical, the fight is far from over. Some of the additional ongoing cases filed in which we continue to challenge this administration include:

• The administration’s attacks on immigration, including efforts to undermine cities, counties, and local law enforcement agencies.
• The administration’s attempted expansion of Schedule F, a move designed to purge career civil servants and replace them with political loyalists.
  
• The administration's attempts to roll back civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
• The administration's efforts to retaliate against law enforcement officers who worked to hold individuals accountable for their crimes on January 6, 2021.
• The administration's removal of independent agency leaders.
• The administration's censorship of critical health information on Department of Health and Human Services websites.

Rep. Panetta attends a press conference
with House Ways and Means Committee members
about their oversight role of the administration’s access to taxpayer data.

These lawsuits are not just about individual policies, they are about defending our Constitution, our institutions, and the principle of law. I will continue to work with my Congressional colleagues to ensure that we stop any unlawful executive overreach, and our system of checks and balances remains active and strong. 

Sincerely,

Jimmy Panetta
United States Representative
19th Congressional District, California