Danielle, Forever wars don’t just happen. They’re enabled. By a president who starts a war, profits off of it, and refuses to end it. By lawmakers who could hold him accountable but choose to look away. And by a system where those who decide to go to war don’t ultimately pay the price. Trump’s war in Iran has dragged on for more than six months. Thousands of people have been killed. Families have spent months fearing for their loved ones. And the consequences of this unnecessary war will be felt for years, even generations. The bleak truth is that wars cost money — and those funds come from American pockets. Last month, the Pentagon told lawmakers the war has cost $45.1 billion. That's billions of taxpayer dollars spent on a war that keeps driving up costs for families already struggling to get by. CNN reports that the war has cost about $2,000 per American household so far, with another $50 added every week it continues. Gas is averaging $4.34 a gallon. Diesel, which powers the trucks, tractors, and trains that keep our economy moving, is near record highs. Homes using heating oil are expected to pay 21% more for the fuel than last winter. And while working families are stretching every paycheck, Trump’s largest oil and gas holdings gained an estimated $1.5 million to $4.4 million in the war’s first six months. Families are paying more. Trump’s oil and gas interests are making more. And the war just keeps going. This cannot continue. Congress has both the power and the responsibility to stop this war. Under the War Powers Act, lawmakers can force a vote on ending unauthorized U.S. military involvement in Iran. But Republicans have allowed Trump to prolong this conflict instead of using their power to bring it to an end. I know many of you are angry about what this administration is doing. I am, too. I grieve for everyone killed in this conflict, and I think about the families at home trying to understand why their loved ones are being sent into a war with no clear end in sight. They deserve answers. They deserve accountability. And they deserve a Congress willing to use every tool it has to end this war. We can end this war. And I’ll keep fighting to make sure we do. Thanks for being a part of this, Elizabeth  |
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