From Bob Gates

Platteville

To the Editor:

I’ve followed the congressional race between Rebecca Cooke and Derrick Van Orden closely. While talking to people about the election, I’ve learned that many voters don’t see how this race could impact the power of the Trump administration.

If voters truly dislike the Trump administration, they should vote for Rebecca Cooke. To restrict President Trump’s power, we need to renew our system of checks and balances by reversing control of either the House or the Senate.

By gaining control of either chamber, Democrats could curtail the power of the Trump administration in a variety of ways. They could pass legislation to cap his executive authority. They could perform congressional inquiries into the administration’s actions, including its handling of the Epstein files. They could even employ the “power of the purse” to halt various Trump legislative priorities.

Rebecca Cooke has named several specific ways in which she plans to limit the administration’s power or reverse its damage. Examples include ending the costly Iran war, reversing cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and repealing tariffs that cut off agricultural markets. These things need to happen for our country’s own good, but they can only be done by reversing partisan control of Congress.

Not everything in politics is a “party-line” issue. To restore our system of checks and balances and limit the power of the Trump administration, it is important to elect the right person, regardless of party. This November, the right person is Rebecca Cooke.