1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The recent failure of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to mount a clear and principled opposition to the Trump administration’s unauthorized war on Iran is a profound betrayal of the Democratic base and the broader American public. Rather than leading with moral clarity, both men have retreated into procedural objections and rhetorical hedging—criticizing the administration’s competence while declining to explicitly oppose the military assault itself. When asked directly whether he would oppose $50 billion in new war funding, Jeffries offered nothing more than “we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” That is not leadership. That is complicity by another name. Americans—and Californians in particular—deserve representatives willing to speak plainly against illegal wars and runaway militarism, not leaders who wait for public opinion to solidify before finding their convictions. I strongly support the growing coalition of peace organizations, including Peace Action and RootsAction, calling for Schumer and Jeffries to be replaced by leaders who will unambiguously represent their constituents. As we have witnessed repeatedly—from the Democratic Party’s capitulation on endless military spending to its failure to cut off weapons transfers fueling devastation abroad—silence and procedural timidity in the face of war crimes are not neutral positions. I urge you to add your voice to those demanding that Congressional Democratic leadership either stand firmly against this illegal war on Iran and the ongoing transfer of arms to Israel, or make way for colleagues who will. The Democratic Party’s long-term credibility depends not on institutional caution, but on the moral courage to say plainly what millions of Americans already believe: these wars are wrong, they are illegal, and they must end.