Donald Trump’s decision to fire Director Comey is the act of an aspiring dictator who believes he is above the law. The president’s decision to fire the person leading the investigation into his misconduct shows he is not fit to lead a democracy.

Director Comey was leading the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s collusion with a foreign dictator to undermine our democracy. He was fired as part of a crude cover-up aimed at keeping evidence of impeachable and potentially treasonous offenses from seeing the light of day. No decent American should stand for this transparently corrupt and tyrannical ploy.

The fate of our republic depends upon Senators refusing to conduct any further government business until there is an independent congressional investigation of President Trump’s abuse of power.

But instead of seeking to get to the bottom of the Trump administration’s corrupt ties to Putin -- an authoritarian plutocrat -- congressional Republicans have joined the administration’s stonewall. This is the kind of thing that happens in autocracies. Unless Democrats act forcefully, the United States could become one.

We are calling on Americans across the country to demand that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and all Senate Democrats shut down the Senate by withdrawing consent and refusing to conduct any further business until there is a full and clear investigation. If Senate Democrats withhold consent from everything the Senate does until such a process is established, they can stall Trump until the truth is made clear.