1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Vote no on the Pentagon's $200 billion funding request for the war in Iran. This is a war of choice we cannot afford. The first 12 days alone cost $16.5 billion, and Iranian retaliatory strikes have already caused $800 million in damage to our military bases across the Middle East. Thirteen American service members have been killed. The overall death toll has reached nearly 3,200 people, including 1,400 civilians. Defense Secretary Hegseth says the $200 billion price tag "could move" because "it takes money to kill bad guys," but that's not a strategy and it's not fiscal responsibility. This conflict has already disrupted the global economy by nearly closing the Strait of Hormuz, with no clear end in sight and no certainty that ground troops won't be deployed. We're being asked to write a blank check for an open-ended military operation that started as an offensive strike, not a defensive necessity. The American people deserve better than vague objectives and ballooning costs for a war we chose to start.