King Charles Reminds Congress of the Importance of ‘Checks and Balances’ in an Address
In a move that the Founding Fathers would never have anticipated, King Charles III of the United Kingdom gave a speech about the importance of checks and balances in government. The United States gained independence on July 4, 1776, from Great Britain—nearly 250 years later, their king has given an under-the-nose lecture about democracy and other pressing issues.
Charles talked about the lengthy, shared history between the US and the UK that spanned over 250 years. He spoke of the Founding Fathers fondly and threw some jokes on the side.
The founding fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause. 250 years ago, or as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day, they declared independence by balancing contending forces and drawing strength in diversity.
Charles also applauded the US Declaration of Independence and its vow to stand for the unalienable rights of man, which gave man the ability to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. It’s a pleasant reaction from Charles, as the document was an act of rebellion against his great-great-great-grandfather, George III.
Perhaps his ancestor would also be rolling in his grave, but this part of Charles’ speech was well-received by the US Congress.
Charles on the checks and balances of the executive branch
Charles also reminded Congress of the British ideas that Americans borrowed while forging their nation—including the Magna Carta. With this, he emphasized that executive power is subject to checks and balances.
They carried with them and carried forward the great inheritance of the British Enlightenment as well as the ideals which had an even deeper history in English common law and Magna Carta. These roots run deep, and they are still vital. Our declaration of rights of 1689 was not only the foundation of our constitutional monarchy but also provided the source of so many of the reiterated often verbatim, in the American Bill of Rights of 1791. And those roots go even further back in history. The US Supreme Court Historical Society has calculated that Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.
Charles did not deliver a history lesson. He merely reminded Congress of the importance of keeping the executive branch of government in check. Although members of Congress gave a standing ovation to this part, it’s a wonder if the message has been understood. Even with the capacity to stop President Donald Trump, his war in Iran continues without congressional oversight.
NATO and defending Ukraine
A Trump talking point has been shattered by Charles with this statement. The president has often cited the ineffectiveness of NATO, and yet, the UK joined the US in Afghanistan after 9/11.
This year, of course, also marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11… We stood with you then, and we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder-to-shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan, and moments that have defined our shared security.
In light of this, Charles brought up Ukraine’s defense. He believes Ukraine’s defense must be continually upheld by the US to secure peace against Russia. Trump has not renewed commitments for Ukraine’s military aid.
A call to protect the environment
But another important and often less touched-upon point that Charles spoke about is the protection of the environment.
The natural wonders of the United States, of America, are indeed a unique asset, and generations of Americans have risen to this calling. Indigenous, political, and civic leaders, people in rural communities and cities alike, have all helped to protect and nurture what President Theodore Roosevelt called the glorious heritage of this land’s extraordinary natural splendor on which so much of its prosperity has always depended. Yet, even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature. We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems, in other words, nature’s own economy, provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security.
Not only has Trump consistently called climate change a “hoax,” climate policies have also been reversed under his administration. Renewable energy has been the least of Trump’s priorities because of his preference for fossil fuels.
It shouldn’t have to take Charles III talking about the issues at hand before the US government acts on them. And yet the United States, at nearly 250 years, still needed a king to remind the US Congress about what is currently at stake.
(featured image: The White House)
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