Friday meeting with Van Orden Aide

A local voter contacted us because they have set up a meeting with Mary Carney of 3rd CD U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden's office on Friday, February 21 at 1 p.m. (See their details below - links added by CP). YOU are invited to join them. They will take the lead during the visit.

Tell Our Congressman What You Think
Friday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
210 7th St. S., Ste. 204
(Social Security Bldg)

You can get there on the #1-2 (from the south) or #2-1(from downtown) bus!

Please be respectful. If you can, bring with you a one page statement noting your expectations of our Congressional representative, and describing how the illegal firings, frozen funds, and agency closures are affecting you, your family, and your neighbors. If you can sign your letter with address and contact information, it will confirm you are a DVO constituent and voter. You can leave the statement with his aide.

If you are not able to attend in person, please call (608-782-2558) or email (contact form here) with your thoughts on Friday.

Here's a good reminder from the Indivisible Guide:

Remember: your swing state representative and senators who are up for reelection in 2026 are primarily focused on their own political survival. They don’t want to be seen as too out-of-step with their district. They are worried about a Republican primary challenge if they break with MAGA, but you must also make them worried about a general election defeat. Building vocal, public, majoritarian opposition to Trump 2.0 and the MAGA agenda in their district or state can indeed shift their votes or, if necessary, soften them up for defeat in 2026.

Fascists depend on convincing us to give our power away and fall in line, that the fight is over and we lost. And while we must be clear-eyed about the threat, we must not do the fascists’ work for them by giving them powers they do not have. Trump wants to govern as a dictator, but he has the slimmest possible congressional majority and a grossly unpopular agenda. Winning an election with 49.9% of the vote (of those who voted) does not make him a Dictator for Life and does not make Project 2025 the law of the land.

For suggestions about writing an effective statement, see this ACLU guide.

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There are two major concerns with the chaos that has erupted in the Executive branch of the U.S. Government since January 20, 2025. First, we have experienced a great number of people’s lives being compromised, physically, economically, professionally and most assuredly psychologically. Second, we have seen the utter disregard for the rule of law as enacted by the Congress and as determined by the Judiciary.

Brief examples of the first include: US Dept of Agriculture programs such as EQIP [Environmental Quality Incentives Program] and US AID funding blocks that have hurt Wisconsin farmers and millions of needy persons overseas, and the blocking of operation funds for Head Start programs here in Wisconsin. Dedicated public servants have been forced out of their positions in D.C and in national parks across the land.

Secondly, examples include: the pardoning of January 6 rioters who were convicted in various jurisdictions by a full court trial and the continued impoundment of legislatively appropriated funds even after court orders to release them.

Thus, we must protest the breaking of the Constitution by the actions of Musk and Trump. This is “Shock and Awe” (1) that the U. S. has used internationally from Central America to SE Asia, to Africa and the Middle East, to overthrow “unfriendly” governments in disregard to international law. It is now being used against the citizens of the United States to destroy our democratic rule of law system. 

In the U. S. Constitution there are three branches of government with different responsibilities that check and balance each other. We the people choose representatives to a Congress that makes laws and appropriates funds. We the people elect an Executive who can veto laws but once the law is signed it must be carried out. The Congress has oversight. New laws can be enacted that change the previous- but that goes through the Congress – not by executive action.  Congress has passed legislation that the impoundment of funds is illegal also. 

Trump had the votes in Congress to do what he has done through Shock and Awe.  Instead he has sidelined Congress. He and Musk have chosen the way of Shock and Awe and we are called to protest, to resist.  There are safeguards with each of these two branches that have oversight – they have been destroyed by the actions of Trump and Musk. We protest.

Article Three of the Constitution provides for an independent judiciary one of whose tasks is to decide on whether laws follow or do not follow the Constitution and its Amendments. Lawsuits have been filed concerning the actions of Trump and Musk. For the most part Musk and Trump have not followed the court orders requiring them to desist. On 2/18 one lower court supported Trump’s and Musk’s actions but most have called for them to desist.

We demand that Van Orden abide by his Navy Seal and US Congressional oath to protect and defend the US and its Constitution. We see that Congress and the courts - Articles 1 (especially section 5), 2 and 3 of the Constitution - are sidelined by the actions of Musk and Trump. 

I urge Congressman Van Orden, as he once risked his life for this country, to risk his position by banding together as a House of Representatives of "WE the PEOPLE" to stop the illegal sidelining of Congress and abuse of the separation of powers.  He has shown bravery. He can again.

1). Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein:  Privatization, Deregulation, and Union Busting are the three primary principles.