On the recordMarch 22, 2017
the most important words in our Constitution are the first three words, ``We the People.'' With those words, our Founding Fathers laid out the vision, the principles, and the foundation for our new Nation's government. It would be, as President Lincoln so eloquently described, ``a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.'' It would not be a government by and for the privileged. It would not be a government by and for the powerful. It would not be a government by and for the elite, and it certainly would not be an authoritarian government. I believe it is more important than ever for us to recommit ourselves to that vision, a vision of a nation that measures successes, not at the boardroom table but at the kitchen tables of hard-working Americans across this land, the vision of a nation that derives its power and authority from the people. In order to do that, we must resist President Trump's dangerous tilt toward authoritarianism. Throughout his candidacy and now within the walls of the White House, President Trump has viciously and repeatedly attacked the media. He has inflamed people's anger toward immigrants, toward religious minorities, toward refugees, and he has undermined or attacked individuals who publicly stand up to him and the shortcomings of his policies. These are four strategies used by authoritarian leaders from time immemorial to consolidate power.…





