To the editor:

For the next four years the legislative effectiveness of Democrats and Independents will be minimal. We must now rely on Congress, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran and others to put effective guardrails on President-Elect Trump and the voices trying to influence him to make Project 2025 established policy for our country. Moran readily stated to the Lawrence Journal World on Nov. 8 that he is aware of the damage Trump and the people around him can do. If Congress does its job and asserts its authority with checks and balances on the presidency, hopefully our country will not run off the rails. The American people have the power to hold their elected officials in check. The question is, will we use it?

Oversight by Congress will be required plus pressure from all citizens to closely monitor Trump’s stated threats to our constitution and democracy. Conscientious voters cannot sit quietly while those acting without facts control our future. We must regroup, listen better, identify opportunities, rebuild and work across the aisle for our future. We must focus on problems, such as immigration, where Congress had a solution that Trump stopped before the election. Now more than ever, our voices must be heard.

We’re not going away. Let’s work together wherever we can, monitoring for the good of all. We must all stay engaged, keep our eyes focused on the positives and do not let the negatives defeat our efforts. And by all means, never give up!

Charley Crabtree,

Lawrence