FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: Jan. 14, 2025
PRESS CONTACT:
nicole@congressionalintegrity.org
Congressional Integrity Project Launches the
“Checks and Balances War Room”
New Effort Will Highlight Trump Administration Actions to Usurp Congress’s Authority On Spending and Overreach in the Budget Reconciliation Process
Rapid Response Effort Will Highlight How Trump’s Efforts to Ignore the Laws Passed by Congress Hurt Real Americans
Washington, DC — Today, the Congressional Integrity Project announced the launch of the Checks and Balances War Room, a new effort to hold the incoming Trump administration and its nominees to run federal agencies accountable for usurping Congress’ authority on spending and to oppose overreach in the budget reconciliation process.
“Congressional Integrity Project is proud to launch the Checks and Balances War Room, protecting one of the most important tenets of our founding,” said Kyle Herrig, senior advisor to the Congressional Integrity Project. “The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, and all of President-elect Trump’s nominees must reaffirm that fact throughout the confirmation process. This will be a test for the so-called institutionalists of the Senate and House. Do they still believe in checks and balances and Congress’s power of the purse or will they cower to Russ Vought’s plans for an unconstitutional expansion of executive authority?”
The project will fight to stop unconstitutional and illegal executive impoundment actions, to block overreach in budget reconciliation, and to ensure full and fair consideration of nominations and legislation.
Staffed by veteran Senate and House aides and communications experts with extensive experience working for presidential and congressional campaigns, we leverage deep institutional knowledge to highlight and respond to Congressional members’ actions in the face of executive branch attacks on their powers. The Checks and Balances War Room will use rigorous research, rapid response communications, and Congressional engagement to defend our democratic institutions and prevent the concentration of unchecked power in the executive branch.
We are proud to announce the following strategists have joined the Congressional Integrity Project to lead and advise the Checks and Balances War Room:
Charlie Ellsworth, former budget and appropriations advisor to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer;
Carianne Lee, former Senior Legislative staffer on energy, environment and appropriations to Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, member of the House Appropriations Committee;
Alex McDonough, former Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Environment to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; and
Zac Petkanas, former Communications Director to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and an alumnus of numerous issues-based and electoral campaign
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About Congressional Integrity Project
The Congressional Integrity Project is focused on revealing how those in power are empowering special interests, and abusing their authority to target political rivals and weaken civil society. We use research and strategic communications to keep the public informed. Our work has been critical in mitigating the damage these political stunts inflict on the progressive movement and everyday Americans.