1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to support an immediate end to the war with Iran and to back congressional measures that restrain a warmongering president's control over the decisions to use force. The cost of this conflict—human, economic, and strategic—has been severe and rising. Lives have been lost on both sides, including American service members and many Iranian civilians; children have been among the casualties when weapons struck schools and towns. And for what? The war is already on a trajectory to cost the United States well over $1 trillion, while fueling inflation and contributing to global food insecurity by disrupting trade and regional stability. American military facilities and equipment in the region have been damaged, and key missile-defense inventories that the nation relies on to deter other adversaries have been depleted. These are predictable wounds inflicted by wars that lack clear, achievable objectives managed by an incompetent Secretary of Defense Despite repeated assertions about degrading Iran’s missile forces, dismantling its nuclear ambitions, or promoting regime change, these goals remain unmet, with no likely path to achieving them. Publicly available U.S. assessments indicate Iran still possesses a significant portion of its missile capability and retains access to nuclear materials that could be leveraged in the future - nuclear material that is possesses only because the President withdrew from the agreement limiting Iran's acquisition of fissionables! Rather than weakening the Iranian state, the conflict has, in some ways, strengthened its hand: disruptions to global commerce and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have shown Tehran the leverage it can exert, increasing instability for the global economy and for American interests. It is evident that the administration has involved us in a quagmire that has only strengthened Iran, just like it lost the trade war with China. The recent House effort to use the War Powers Act to curb continued military escalation is a welcome step that reflects the sober judgment of many Americans who oppose open-ended wars. But it is only a first step. If policymakers do not conduct a full reassessment of how the United States chooses to go to war—and if advocates of permanent hostility are not held accountable—we should expect repeated, self-inflicted foreign-policy disasters that erode both our international standing and public trust in democratic institutions. Please act to support measures that wind down military operations, restore congressional oversight, and prioritize diplomacy and multilateral engagement to resolve tensions with Iran. Ending this war responsibly will save lives, protect the economy, and reaffirm the constitutional balance between the executive and legislative branches. The damage already done is severe in terms of both blood and treasure - we are never getting those lives back, and we've wasted a trillion dollars and compromised our foreign policy and strategic goals in nearly every arena that comes to mind. The most we can do is not make it worse.