Betty McCollum

This war was not a necessity; it was Trump’s personal choice.

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Americans delivered an unmistakable message on Nov. 3: President Donald Trump must end his illegal war in Iran.

When Trump took our country to war on Feb. 28, 2026, he did so without congressional approval or public support. Three times, the House of Representatives has voted to stop this unlawful war. The administration cannot articulate a clear justification for the war because there is none. This war was not a necessity; it was a personal choice.

The president and his administration have left our service members dangerously vulnerable, deceived the public about casualty numbers, killed Iranian civilians, and driven up costs for American families. For all of this, the buck stops with Trump. Americans deserve answers and accountability. Americans deserve an end to this war.

President Trump ignored warnings from his top military adviser, Dan Caine, about the grave risk to U.S. service members in the Middle East. This recklessness left behind 21 broken families who will never see their loved ones again, including the families of Sgt. Declan Coady of West Des Moines, Iowa, Capt. Cody A. Khork of Winter Haven, Fla., Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens of Bellevue, Neb., and Master Sgt. Nicole Amor of White Bear Lake, Minn. In a recent town hall, Amor’s husband, Joey Amor, asked Vice President JD Vance about the leadership failures leading to the deaths of our service members. The vice president replied that this was “literally the first time I’ve heard of this.”

For months, the Trump administration misled the public about American casualties and withheld combat death benefits from a grieving widow. This October, the Department of Defense quietly added three American deaths and 98 injuries to its website, hoping Americans wouldn’t notice. This is outrageous. For the widow of Maj. Alex Klinner, it took a viral social media post for the Department of Defense to pay out combat death benefits. When service members are hurt or killed, leaders owe a moral obligation to be forthright and honest with the American people, and to honor them and their families with the benefits they deserve. Anything less is a dereliction of duty.

This war has also caused immense pain and suffering for Iranian civilians. The United States caused a tragedy by striking an elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing 157 civilians, including 123 children. Reports indicate that this strike was intentional, not a technological malfunction. The administration used outdated satellite data for targeting and did not confirm the target’s validity with new data.

This disaster was preventable. Leading up to the war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismantled Defense Department offices responsible for limiting civilian casualties. The secretary reduced the total workforce from 200 to 40, and in the office responsible for Iran, cut staff from 10 to 1.

To date, neither the White House nor the Department of Defense has answered for this terrible act. When our adversaries kill civilians, we are rightfully outraged. We must hold our own officials to the same standard.

Here at home, the economic costs of this war continue to rise. Since February, the average American household has already paid $2,000 in extra costs. Energy prices have skyrocketed. The price of gasoline has risen by more than $1 since the president launched his war, and diesel prices have nearly doubled. We are all feeling pain at the pump, and these sky-high energy prices are driving inflation for every other part of our lives including health care, housing and groceries.

When the 120th Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, Democrats will hold a majority in the House. I will serve as the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and I will not give the Department of Defense a blank check for President Trump’s war. I will hold hearings and I will ask the tough questions, which Republicans have failed to do since the beginning of this administration and this unlawful war.

The administration must answer for its decision to hide casualties, it must answer for putting our service members in unnecessary danger, and it must answer for the civilians killed in Iran. The American people deserve nothing less.

Betty McCollum, a Democrat, represents Minnesota’s Fourth District in the U.S. House.

A good start would be a pledge: no new borrowing.

A curbside voting experience reminded me about our history and how much we’ve fought to protect our democracy.

I don’t agree with DFL on everything, but now my conscience is clear.

A good start would be a pledge: no new borrowing.