To Whom It May Concern,

I am a citizen of the United States who has resided in North Carolina for over a decade. I feel it
is my duty to inform you of my opinion regarding several deeply troubling issues and policies. As
my representative, I fully expect you to take my stance on these issues into account as you
proceed. Now, more than ever, you must ensure that you hold true to the will of the people. Not
just for your sake or mine, but for the sake of America and democracy itself. I understand that
that may sound overly grave, but trust me when I tell you that the founding values of our country
and the inalienable rights of humanity are being threatened. Please act, act wisely, and act
swiftly. Integrity and strength are no longer campaign catchphrases, sir. They are attributes the
people expect and need you to exemplify. The country is reliant upon men like you. Do not fail
us now.
I'm afraid there are so many concerns of late that the only manageable way to convey them is a
list. I will begin with the most time-sensitive, and proceed in no particular order from there.
-The so-called 'Muslim Ban', aka the executive order entitled "Protecting the Nation From
Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States" is unconstitutional and contrary to American
values. Not only is it a foreign relations nightmare, but it has directly resulted in the detainment
of innocent people, violations of their rights, and has suffocated the free exchange of trade and
ideas that makes this nation great. It must be repealed at once, in its entirety. Refugees and
those with visas and green cards are not our enemies. The very concept is preposterous,
especially given the amount of vetting they must undergo to qualify. Dual-born foreign citizens,
similarly, are not our enemies. With this order, our president has dealt an extreme insult to his
people and to our international peers, and destroyed our credibility as a nation. Please do
everything in your power to counteract this order and the damage incurred by it.
-Assuming an adversarial relationship with the media indicates a desire to keep Americans
ignorant and uninformed. This cannot be allowed. Censorship is abhorrent and debilitating to
the country as a whole. The various government agencies and officials are public service
entities, and the citizens of the United States have every right to both be well-informed of their
policies and actions, as well as capable of expressing their own opinions. There is no such
entity as "fake news". News, by definition, is a reiteration of factual occurrences or statements.
Fake facts are fiction, pure and simple. The people have a right to know. Avoiding questions,
refusing to address issues, and acting belligerent in the face of inquiry is childish and instills
doubt and fear. Please work with the media, remain calm, and focus clearly on the topics
presented. Saying you are unwilling or unable to answer a question is acceptable; attempting to
invalidate the question and resorting to repeated blatant logical fallacies is not acceptable.
Government officials represent us to the world as a whole. Such actions undermine the respect
we hold for those offices, but also the respect the rest of the world gives us. Please keep this in
mind, both for your own image and the images of others.
-Decreasing or eliminating the value of Federal land, or allowing it to be transferred to State
jurisdiction for commercial uses, runs contrary to the purpose of national parks as a whole. The
Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service should be given more latitude to preserve

and protect our nation's heritage, not less.

-Reinstating the Mexico City Policy is un-American. It deprives entire countries of assistance
and healthcare, and targets women specifically. America has no say in the healthcare ideology
of other nations. America should not infringe upon the rights of our own women, much less
women in other countries. Limiting access to methods of disease prevention and contraception
in the name of saving 'unborn children' is oxymoronic. Limiting free speech and attempting to
circumvent both sound medical science and the laws or policies of foreign nations is
unacceptable. To superimpose values that the majority of our populace does not even adhere to
as a condition of humanitarian efforts abroad is sickening and wrong. To specifically target
women and children is a level of sinister I did not wish to believe this country was capable of. To
then expand this order so it negatively impacts any organization abroad which offers complete
medical information and options to women regardless of whether or not US funding is utilized for
such... that is simply indefensible. This policy is a Matryoshka doll of atrocities layered upon
atrocities, and seems designed to undercut foreign relations without overtly dismantling them.
Please ensure that it is repealed at once.
-Repealing the Affordable Care Act is unwise and puts the health of Americans at risk. Until
there is a viable, vetted alternative that affords all citizens the same protections and care that
the Affordable Care Act ensures, it is unacceptable to repeal the current act. I do not believe it
should be repealed at all. Reformed, where and if necessary, but not repealed.
-Building a border wall is illogical in the extreme. I do not support it, and neither does a large
portion of the American people. Multiple international trade agreements are violated by taxing
an individual nation's goods differently than others... Taxing the imports of a specific nation to
build the wall does not actually increase the cost to them, but rather to the portion of the
American populace that utilizes those goods. Charging the American people in any fashion for a
physical edifice that they do not support reeks of fascism and dictatorship. In addition to
undercutting foreign relations even further, the budget it would require is an immense burden,
and if such funds can be procured, said funds should be allocated instead to reinforcing our
physical and social infrastructure, including but not limited to: healthcare, education, parks,
energy conservation, and highway maintenance.
-Limiting, defunding, and otherwise interfering with scientific research, whether it is
climate-related or not, is inherently destructive. Forcing government agencies to cease
publishing scientific findings and/or utilize social media, and otherwise limiting the exchange of
knowledge and information is unhealthy, and does not serve the interests of the American
people. Unless further pursuit of a line of scientific inquiry presents a clear, immediate threat to
the nation (i.e. nuclear/biological/chemical weapons), the populace as a whole should have
access to developments and discoveries, in the interest of free thought and the advancement of
our society as a whole. America is able to keep pace with the world technologically and
ideologically due in no small part to our scientific institutions. Curbing their efforts or influence is
not in the best interest of any modern society.

-Withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership is economically unsound, and does not reflect
well upon our country. Ending a deal that took seven years to negotiate and is mutually
beneficial to all parties is illogical, and will likely result in other nations becoming wary of
entering into any alliance or agreement with ours. The Trans-Pacific Partnership should be
reinstated and ratified, and an apology tendered to the other countries involved for the rash and
inconsiderate manner in which we withdrew.
-Environmental Reviews are critical to ensuring that our country, our land, and our people are
not physically put at risk or harmed. Rushing through them could be disastrous, and places lives
in direct danger. In addition, prioritizing certain projects over others allows for the appearance of
misconduct and favoritism. Specifically, expediting the construction of projects at high risk of
environmental consequences, such as oil pipelines, should not be allowed. Ensuring our actions
are environmentally sound and do not place our natural resources at risk is not something to be
done lightly.
-The amount of executive orders which directly defy existing, often contentious, legislation is
deeply disturbing. Overriding current legal proceedings with no apparent regard for the outcome
engenders distrust in the judicial system as a whole. Doing so with little to no explanation is
foolhardy at best. Please attempt to curtail this, if at all possible.
-The amount of government positions currently vacant, particularly in the case of ambassadors
and foreign relations specialists, poses a security risk and harms our ability to handle
international relations. Please fill them with reasonable, competent individuals as soon as
possible.
In regards to the senate confirmation hearings, it is very troubling that so many of the proposed
candidates are not just ideologically unsuited but actually incompetent in terms of the positions
to which they have been nominated. I will not mention those who have been confirmed, but the
remainder are as follows:
Mnuchin has prior business ties which may conflict with appointment to the position of Secretary
of the Treasury. His views on much of the policies remain unclear, but it is clear that on many
prior occasions he has chosen to further his personal gain over upholding moral standards.
Such a man should not be given power over America's finances.
Though I disagree with Sessions on a wide variety of issues, and I have serious concerns
regarding his racial bias, his endorsement of ludicrous immigration restrictions, and his role in
the Letter to Iran, I have less qualms about his literal competency. Though he is not an ideal
choice by any stretch, he is at least actually capable of doing the job itself. However, his
reported personal biases are despicable in any public official, particularly a member of the
judicial system.
Zinke's endorsement of coal mining on federal land and denial of the extreme negative impact
that unsustainable utilization of natural resources gives me great pause. I am uncertain he is

suited to be Secretary of the Interior. A man in that position should be more interested in
pursuing energy sources that may be renewed with minimal environmental costs. Though I
applaud him for wishing to prevent the sale of land, and preserving public access to federal
land, the misuse of said land is just as concerning, if not more. If the resources and land are
managed in a damaging or non-renewable fashion, the consequences would reverberate
throughout our nation.
Ross's pre-existing business ties, ties to Russia, and his stance on the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, along with his predilection for benefiting corporations at the expense of individual,
are undesirable and do not behoove a Secretary of Commerce. A man with his history and lack
of evident ethical stance should not be allowed to influence foreign trade policy.
Puzder is well known for criticizing labor laws, employee protections, and reasonable health
considerations. He is also surrounded by a miasma of accusations and lawsuits, mostly
involving labor law violations. Anyone so directly opposed to the purpose of the Labor
department should not be put in charge of it. I am shocked he was even considered, much less
nominated. Worker's rights are not something to be scoffed at or dismantled, particularly not in
our country, and Puzder is poised to gut the entire concept.
I am very concerned that Price will institute changes in our current healthcare system without
providing sufficient or reasonable alternatives. Repealing the Affordable Care Act is contrary to
the interests of the nation. However, I do believe he is physically capable of performing the
required duties. It is merely a matter of whether or not he acts foolishly. Cutting medicare and
medicaid funding is patently unacceptable, and he has yet to confirm that he will not do so.
Rick Perry has previously stated that he wanted to abolish the Department of Energy, so
nominating him to run it is quite unfortunate. In addition, his advocacy for fossil fuel consumption
and his denial of scientific facts (such as climate change), make him a poor candidate for that
position.
Devos is so obviously unprepared and ideologically opposed to the very concept of Secretary of
Education that even considering her for the position is reprehensible. She does not have any
relevant experience, she does not seem to know what the position entails or how to manage it,
and her ideas regarding how children should be educated are so outdated and off-the-wall that I
cannot imagine how she was appointed at all. She must not be confirmed.
The only positive thing I can say regarding Pruitt's nomination to head the EPA is that it would
hopefully keep prevent him from getting anywhere near laws regarding women's health. On a
more serious note, nominating a man to run an agency that he has sued over a dozen times,
vocally opposes, and does not believe in is repugnant. It destroys faith in leadership, rebukes
the very purpose of the agency, and makes a mockery of the vital and pressing issues which
affect not only this country, but the world as a whole. He supports industry over any
environmental concern. He is temperamentally unsuited to participate in any environmentally
conscious institution. He must not be confirmed under any circumstances; it is an insult and a
farce.
In conclusion, I would simply like to state a fact which has become painfully relevant recently:
Any government position, from president to clerk, is considered a position of civil service. The
individuals whom we elect and hire to fulfill the needs of the American people are beholden to

those people. Not only do they represent the interests and values of the populace as a whole,
but they are bound to do so. Freedom of speech applies to each individual, but as an elected
official of the United States government, lying to or misrepresenting the American people is the
very definition of treason. A government official acting contrary to the interests of the people of
this country is no less than treason. I urge you to watch carefully for seditious acts, both in your
office and in the offices of others. To be mistaken is one thing; to deliberately disregard or deny
the will of the people is entirely another.
We are counting on you to hold our interests as our own, to act boldly against those who would
deny us our liberties, to provide for our welfare and protect our rights. You were elected
because the American people believe you are capable of this, because you were found worthy
of the task before you. You are not just in office to represent part of the people, the ones whose
personal ideals, race, creed, religion, or sex are closest to your own. You were elected because
we believe you can represent us all. Please do not prove our faith to be misplaced.
Sincerely,
Ameli Cyr