MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Following in the footsteps of their national leaders, two local chapters of the League of Women Voters are now calling on lawmakers to, in their words, “defend democracy.”
“The League is dedicated to defending democracy and we view this as part of our mission,” said LWV Appleton-Fox Cities President Linda Bjella.
And in an unusual step for the nonpartisan organization, the Appleton-Fox Cities and Winnebago County League of Women Voters, issued a call for action during a news conference in Menasha Tuesday morning.
The organizations, not only crafting a letter of their own, but also asking Northeast Wisconsin residents to contact Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, along with their congressmen, either Tony Wied or Glenn Grothman.
Local leaders, piggy backing off of a letter sent from National League of Women Voters officials, last month, voicing concerns with decisions being made by the executive branch of government with no input from members of Congress.
Bjella said, “We demand that our congressional representatives, democrats, republicans, and independents honor their oaths and protect us their constituents from this breathtaking power grab by the Executive Branch of the government.”
The League expressing specific concerns with what they say is an attempt to end birthright citizenship, in violation of the 14th amendment. It also has issue with the firing of more than a dozen inspectors general, without giving Congress 30 day notice, required by law. And ongoing attempts, it believes, to dismantle federal agencies like USAID, the Consumer Protection Bureau and Department of Education.
In a statement, Congressman Tony Wied said,
The people of Wisconsin’s 8th District elected both me and President Trump to implement an America First agenda, and that is exactly what we are doing. The President has made it clear that he will do everything possible to eliminate waste in our government, and Congress is working right alongside him. The President also has the authority to sign executive orders and I am curious where the outrage from LWV was when President Biden decided to use them to open our border and flood our country with criminal illegal aliens. We have an obligation to the American people to fulfill the promises they overwhelmingly voted for, which is to secure the border, restore our economy, and put an end to the reckless federal spending that has wasted the hardworking taxpayers’ money for far too long.
The League says this has nothing to do with party or person, and is instead focused on protecting democracy and the constitution.
“We are encouraging people to vote. We want them to be informed and educated voters. We want people to vote for their own values. And because we are nonpartisan group, we really don’t speak to any party or person. What we’re speaking to is the principles we’ve had for over 100 years,” add LWV Winnebago County President Margy Davey.
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