Regarding Mr. Valentine’s letter (“Shame on us for bringing aboard Trump,” Feb. 8, Auburn Reporter):

Ironically, on Valentine’s day, I will be 83, so Mr. Valentine is my senior. I remember all the presidents since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I minored in government in college, and I find Mr. Valentine’s comment that President Trump didn’t know that the origin of the yearly budget is the House of Representatives to be ludicrous. Actually, the executive branch submits a proposed budget to Congress, and it is typically called DOA (dead on arrival). Congress and the legislative branch at every level of our government has historically been the least responsible branch of our three branches of government.

Congress is responsible to pass the budget out of both houses and present it to the president to sign or veto. That has not happened.

Those who say the president shut the government down are wrong. The president hasn’t been required to take an action because Congress has not agreed on a budget to present to the president. In recent years, Congress has never produced a budget on time.

Continuing resolutions are not budgets. Congresspersons do not take their responsibility seriously. At least 60 days before the budget is due, Congress should remain in session 12 hours per day, seven days per week until they have a budget agreed by both houses to present to the president. Vacations and foreign trips should be prohibited. Any foreign trip by a Congressperson should be at their personal expense (no lobbyist money). Any such trip by a Congressperson is personal and does not represent the U.S. government. We have only one foreign policy, which is established by the president and the State Department.

President Trump is probably the most qualified president in our history. He has been an executive officer for nearly 50 years, mostly as the chief executive officer. President Obama, having no executive experience, was probably the least qualified. Even as a legislator he dodged tough decisions by voting present, rather than make a decision. That behavior should disqualify any such person from an executive position.

– William Malinski