It’s only been a few months, but after observing recent actions in Congress, I feel compelled to speak out. The House’s passage of the so-called “budget” bill represents a profound failure to lead, and the fact that Alaska’s lone representative cast the deciding vote makes it especially painful, as that member is my nephew, Nick Begich.

I had hoped — both for Alaska’s sake and our family — that Nick would chart an independent course in Congress, as Don Young, Mary Peltola and even my father once did. I hoped he would challenge falsehoods and act in Alaska’s best interests, not follow the lead of a president widely viewed as the most corrupt in our lifetime. I was wrong.

Nick has voted in lockstep with this administration — earning an early endorsement from the president — and has done so despite the consequences to our state. As reported by the Anchorage Daily News, Nick claimed on social media that the bill “marks the single most significant step toward restoring fiscal sanity in a generation.” That statement is demonstrably false.

This bill does not reduce the deficit. It extends tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits, which help Alaskans survive. If Alaska tries to shield our residents from these cuts, we could face at least a $63 million shortfall. Even with these harsh sacrifices, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill will add trillions to the federal deficit. That’s not fiscal responsibility — it’s deception. To claim otherwise is to follow the Trump playbook: say something loud enough, and hope no one notices the truth.

But the bill goes even further. One provision removes the courts’ ability to hold government officials in contempt for defying court orders, effectively eliminating a vital check on executive power. With this change, any administration could disregard court rulings — with impunity — unless a citizen can afford an expensive legal battle. This is not a partisan issue. Republican or Democrat, every American should be concerned by this blatant attempt to weaken the judicial branch and undermine the rule of law.

My father, Rep. Nick Begich Sr., worked across the aisle in the 1970s to help settle the Alaska Native Land Claims, secure the pipeline right-of-way and protect Alaska’s most vulnerable. As a professor and legislator, he understood the importance of checks and balances. He knew that winning didn’t mean destroying your opponents or silencing dissent. He would be outraged by this administration’s disregard for democratic norms — and by the complicity of those who remain silent. He would have spoken up.

My nephew may share my father’s name, but he does not share his values. If he did, he would speak up against corruption. He would reject authoritarian tactics and defend the right to dissent. He would stand with the Alaskans who have the least power and the most to lose.

Instead, he has chosen a darker road — one where dissent is punished, courts are weakened, and the concentration of power is celebrated. That is not the America my father served. It is not the Alaska I know.

I hope Nick reads this. I hope he remembers that leadership means more than loyalty to a party or a president. It means doing the hard thing when it’s right. It means standing alone if necessary, for the people you represent. There is still time to choose a different path — one of integrity and courage. One that honors the legacy of those who came before and reminds us of what public service can truly be.

Tom Begich is a former minority leader of the Alaska State Senate and the executive director of the Nicholas J. and Pegge Begich Public Service Fund. His views here are his own and do not represent the fund.

• • •

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.