U.S. Rep. Van Taylor has asked his constituents directly to answer the question: What issues matter the most to you?

He lists border security, health care, the economy, education, other. I’ll stick with “other” for the time being.

I want my congressman, a new guy on Capitol Hill, to look critically at the conduct of the president of the United States. I want him to assess whether it’s all right for a president to say he’ll “look at” information that might come to him from a foreign power that has negative “research” material on a political opponent.

I want Rep. Taylor to stop cowering under the shadow of Donald Trump. I want him to show some courage in standing up to him.

Donald Trump is encouraging his staff to ignore the law. He is flouting legal authority. He is seeking to usurp congressional powers away from the legislative branch of government that is trying to perform its oversight responsibility as it is prescribed by the U.S. Constitution. 

I want my congressman, a Republican from Plano, to look the president in the eye and tell Trump that he must not get away these efforts to hold himself above the rule of law.

Taylor succeeded a legendary figure in Congress. Former Rep. Sam Johnson, also a Republican, had been to hell and back as a prisoner during the Vietnam War. He was held captive for more than six years.

Rep. Taylor also is a veteran and I honor his service as a Marine infantry officer during the Iraq War.

So, his reticence so far to criticize the president cannot be a product of fear. It comes from some other source that I cannot identify.

Whatever it is, I want Rep. Taylor to toss it aside and stand up for what is right and stand against a president who has disgraced his office and — as many of us have concluded in recent days — is putting this country’s democratic electoral process in dire danger.

Thanks for asking for my opinion, Rep. Taylor.