I am writing about Saturday’s article “Collins opposes emergency declaration” (Page A8), in which Sen. Susan Collins states: “What we have, unfortunately, are two individuals in charge, the president and the (House) speaker (Nancy Pelosi).”
This raises the question: Does the leader of the Senate (Mitch McConnell) have nothing to do with this? Of course he does, as he has usurped the Senate’s independent power by making it into an extension of the executive branch rather than part of the co-equal legislative branch.
Sen. Angus King (quoted in the same article) has it right. The Senate should do what is right for our country as a whole: Pass a veto-proof budget for everything but border security, then work out a compromise on that.
Part of that border security dialogue should include a grown-up discussion about what border security means, looking at the ramifications of a variety of approaches, including feasibility and costs involved. (Some estimates for a wall running the full length of the southern border run at least $25 billion with a 10-year build time frame.)
The legislative branch of our government needs to look beyond political selfishness and begin to work for the betterment of all in our country and our democracy.
Gail Witherill
Cumberland
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