State of the Union a Reminder for Congress to Reassert Its Authority Over The President

Ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address before Congress, a bipartisan coalition of grassroots advocates, veterans, and people of faith is calling for Congress to reassert its full constitutional powers to stop executive branch overreach. In response to the many abuses of power that the president has engaged in during his second term in office, these organizations released the following statements:

“The State of the Union will be a stark reminder to Congress as to just how little it has done to check President Trump’s unprecedented abuses of power,” said Issue One Vice President of Advocacy Alix Fraser. “As he addresses the nation from ‘the People’s House’ at the invitation of Congress, our senators and representatives must reflect on their historic role in our system of checks and balances and find ways to reassert themselves or risk irrelevance. The president has taken actions that have profound consequences for millions of Americans from raising the cost of basic goods, to bringing unnecessary displays of force and violence to the streets of communities across the country, to directly engaging in foreign conflicts. With each passing day, it becomes clearer that we need to rebalance power between these branches, and Issue One and our partners offer a clear pathway in the We the People Playbook.”

“Veterans swore an oath to defend our Constitution because we believe, at our core, in the values of representative democracy. Our democracy is built on a set of checks and balances between the three branches of government. However, the executive branch has been bypassing Congress on critical issues facing our Republic, including military strikes, in the Caribbean, on Venezuela, and now potentially Iran. It is past time that Congress reasserted itself,” said Chris Purdy, CEO and Founder of The Chamberlain Network.

“Executive overreach is not a foregone conclusion,” said Cristie Carter Bake, Director of Advocacy at Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG). “It happens when Congress, the people’s branch, allows its power to be overrun. Our members, from all over the country and across the political spectrum, are eager to see their elected representatives reclaim their Article 1 power and pass legislation that limits executive power.”

“The Constitution does not vest unchecked power in any one branch. At moments like this, Congress has both the authority and the obligation to reassert its role as a coequal branch of government. Reclaiming that responsibility isn’t about party or personality — it’s about preserving the constitutional order that protects our freedoms and holds leaders accountable,” said Principles First Executive Director, Brittany Martinez.

“The State of the Union under President Trump is an America that is sliding dangerously toward corrupt autocracy. Members of Congress took an oath to the constitution, to provide oversight of the executive branch and to stand up for the people they serve. The People’s Branch must find the courage to do its duty and rein in the unchecked power of this administration—before it’s too late,” said Megan Caska, Vice President of Political at RepresentUs.

Background

In September 2025, Issue One worked with Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), RepresentUS, Principles First, and The Chamberlain Network to release the We the People Playbook. This set of enduring, crosspartisan policy reforms would strengthen Congress’s power and allow Congress to check presidential abuses of power by allowing it to reassert control of the purse strings, restore authority over trade, reclaim war powers, limit domestic troop deployment, check emergency powers, and reaffirm that only Congress and the states can set election rules.