DeSaulnier Digest: My Thoughts on Trump's Authoritarian Takeover of DC
President Trump has taken another step towards authoritarianism. Despite a marked decrease in violent crime in Washington, D.C., Trump claimed a crime emergency and placed the D.C. police under federal control. He also ordered more than 2,000 armed National Guard troops to patrol the streets of our nation's capital. President Trump continues to threaten a broader authoritarian power grab of other major cities including San Francisco, Chicago, and New York by trying to control their independent law enforcement agencies.
I am extremely concerned by the President's escalation in D.C. and I have and will continue to support efforts to check these actions, including a resolution (H.J.Res. 115) to terminate the President's control of the D.C. police. These actions should be of deep concern to all Americans - our Founders created a system of decentralized power to ensure that no individual could supersede others and become a king. President Trump has disregarded that system and craves total power. The levers of Congress are limited without some Republican support, and I will continue to call on my Republican colleagues to stand up to President Trump's overreaches and uphold their oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution.
Sincerely,
Mark DeSaulnier
Member of Congress
IN THE COMMUNITY
Congressman DeSaulnier Hosts Town Hall with Special Guest Congressman McGovern
Last Thursday, Mark welcomed his friend and colleague Congressman Jim McGovern for a special town hall at Acalanes High School in Lafayette. As the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, Rep. McGovern shared his deep legislative and procedural knowledge to explain how House Democrats' are working to stymie Republicans' and the Trump Administration's efforts to erode constitutional rights and favor big corporations and the wealthy over the American people. If you missed the town hall, you can watch a recording of the event by clicking here or on the image below.
Mark Continues Business Listening Tour in Downtown Danville
American small businesses will be especially harmed by President Trump's tariffs as they struggle to succeed against big box retailers. As a former restaurant owner, Congressman DeSaulnier sat down with four small businesses in downtown Danville - Talkin' Baseball, Rakestraw Books, Sweet Street, and Molly's Pup-Purr-Ee - to discuss the challenges they face and how he can support them at the federal level.
DeSaulnier Meets with California Community Action Agencies
Mark welcomed representatives from local Community Action Agencies, a group of nonprofit organizations who receive federal grant funding to reduce poverty and support low-income families. The group discussed the importance of protecting federal funding that allows local communities to respond to poverty in the most effective ways.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Congressman DeSaulnier Introduces Bill to Combat Corporate Greed
While in the 1970s, the average CEO earned roughly 20 to 30 times the compensation of a typical worker, that disparity has exploded with estimates placing the ratio at over 300:1 for top S&P 500 companies. Congressman DeSaulnier introduced the CEO Accountability and Responsibility Act (H.R. 5019) to combat income inequality and put an end to runaway corporate greed. To help restore the balance of power back to workers, Mark's bill would increase corporate taxes on companies that have extreme disparities between CEO and worker pay and would give preferential treatment in federal contracts to companies with pay ratios below 50-to-1. Learn more about the legislation here.
POST OF THE WEEK
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