To the Editor:
These are perilous times for our republic. In remarks to the S.F. Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 8, Sen.  Mike Rounds began by saying the House should simply pass bills and not do the impeachment inquiry. Actually, the House has passed nearly 400 important bills this year. Very few of them were taken up by the Senate. Evidently, the Senate is busy filling judgeships. Mitch McConnell wouldn’t fill Obama’s picks — he waited until he got a Republican president. So much for Sen. Rounds’ belief in bipartisan cooperation.
Rounds went on to remark about the Tax Reform Act of December 2017. He didn’t share specific insights as to how that legislation worked out. Turns out, it simply gave rich people lots more money while expanding our nation’s debt by $1.5 trillion.

Sen. Rounds said Reps and Dems should find common ground. That’s laughable. Since the Tea Party rebellion of 2010, any Republican who tries to compromise gets primaried. He/she is seen as jeopardizing conservative control of government.
Finally, the Chamber deserved to hear insightful explanations of the Constitutional designations/requirements regarding checks and balances. Sen. Rounds didn’t do this. Citizens need to understand these rules, which are readily available from internet searches. It turns out that the House had a clear responsibility to proceed with impeachment according to known facts and Constitutional rules.
Due to existing political complexities, Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose to start with an investigation in order that the country might get the facts before the trial. But we already know enough to anticipate the impeachment indictment is coming and will, at some point, be presented to the Senate for trial.  
Speaker Pelosi is doing an amazing job in leading our country through the complexities that we hope will preserve our marvelous Constitution and Republic.
Dave L. Wegner
Sioux Falls