Americans Don’t Want War With Iran – And I’m Doing Everything in My Power to Stop It March 7, 2026 Dear Friends,Going to war is the most consequential action a nation can take — a choice that can cost countless lives, waste trillions of taxpayer dollars, and destabilize entire continents. So when the world awoke last Saturday to news that Donald Trump had launched an unprovoked, illegal war against Iran, Americans had the right to expect not only an intelligible rationale for this grave decision, but also a real plan to deal with its consequences. Regrettably, the American people got neither. Trump and his administration have offered no coherent justification for starting this war, no achievable end goals, and no exit strategy. That’s why I’m determined to oppose this senseless war of choice with every fiber of my being. Since the first missiles were fired last weekend, the Trump administration has been unable to give the American people a straight answer about why they launched this war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the President himself have given a multitude of shifting and conflicting explanations — none of which pass muster. Trump and his allies first said the war’s objective was to counter “imminent threats from the Iranian regime” and its nuclear program — the same program Trump insisted was already “obliterated” by strikes last June. When Trump offered another rationale — bringing “freedom for the people” of Iran by assassinating its leaders — Hegseth immediately told reporters that this was “not a so-called regime change war.” And when Rubio claimed that the U.S. attack was a preemptive move to counter retaliation from an anticipated Israeli strike, Trump quickly disputed that characterization. Republicans can’t even agree on whether to call this reckless action a “war.” Whatever the terminology or bogus justification, this conflict has already cost the lives of six U.S. soldiers — and the President and his administration don’t seem to care. Instead of mourning our servicemembers, Trump took a cavalier attitude toward their deaths, saying “there will likely be more before it ends…that’s the way it is.” These needless deaths have not been the only consequence of Trump’s ill-conceived rush to war. In the chaos of the conflict’s first hours, three U.S. fighter jets were shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait — showing an inexcusable failure to coordinate operations. Trump’s State Department appeared blindsided by the start of the conflict, failing to organize evacuation efforts normally planned well in advance of military action and leaving thousands of our citizens stranded in the Middle East with no means of escape. And Americans at home are already facing higher costs because of this war, with regional instability causing oil prices to surge more than 17% in less than a week. Poll after poll shows that Americans want nothing to do with another endless war in the Middle East. That’s why this week, I took action and cast my vote in favor of a War Powers Resolution that would force the President to end these hostilities that Congress never authorized. Unfortunately, that resolution failed as congressional Republicans — many of whom have long claimed to oppose foreign interventions — refused to do their jobs and hold the President accountable. Still, our efforts to stop this war are far from over. With Trump’s own Defense Department estimating the cost of the conflict at $1 billion per day, reports indicate that the administration plans to ask Congress for a supplemental spending package to bankroll further military action. I will oppose any additional funding for this war — because when millions of Americans are still struggling to pay for rent, groceries, health care, and other basic necessities, we cannot afford to spend billions more taxpayer dollars on a needless war overseas. In 1848, a first-term Congressman named Abraham Lincoln reflected on the wisdom of our founders in delegating war-making powers to Congress. “Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars,” Lincoln said, “pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object.” With that in mind, Lincoln continued, the founders “resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression upon us.” President Trump is now attempting to undo that design by unilaterally forcing a war on the American people — and we must firmly resist that effort. I will do everything in my power to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority and put a stop to this war, and I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will do the same. As always, thank you for reading. Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:Due to scheduled building maintenance, the Schenectady office of the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be temporarily closed for in-person services for approximately two weeks beginning on Monday, March 9th.The office is expected to reopen for in-person services on Monday, March 23rd.Local telephone services will remain available at 1-866-964-1296 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.Individuals who must conduct their Social Security business in person while the Schenectady SSA office is temporarily closed may visit other local Social Security offices located at:11A Clinton Avenue, Room 430, Federal Building, Albany, NY 12207120 Hoosick Street, Suite 12A-1, Troy, NY 12180Social Security office hours are from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.