by Michelle Long, Stevensville
I would like to remind our four members of Congress and my fellow citizens of the Oath of Office taken by Senators and Representatives:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
Note that the oath does not require the elected officials to support and defend their political party, the President of the United States, or their donors. The oath requires them to defend the Constitution, which is very clear that there are three branches of government. This bedrock principle of the Constitution does not allow one branch to simply ignore the others. If one branch believes the other is negligent, corrupt, or otherwise unfit for office, they must follow the impeachment procedure laid out in the Constitution. I believe that if you place an elected official or officials above the Constitution, you cannot call yourself a patriot, as the Constitution is a key founding document of our country.