1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support halting all Senate business until Congress votes on an Authorization for the Use of Military Force regarding Iran. This conflict has already resulted in six American deaths, attacks on U.S. embassies across the region, oil prices up 9%, gasoline prices experiencing their largest one-day increase in 20 years, and natural gas prices up 45%. The economic and human costs are mounting daily, yet the Senate continues with business as usual. The Constitution explicitly requires Congressional authorization before entering war. President Trump has unilaterally provoked this conflict without Congressional consent or support from the American people. While I support Senator Tim Kaine's War Powers Resolution, it is not a substitute for a proper AUMF debate. The Senate must prioritize this constitutional responsibility above all other legislative matters. The administration has provided shifting and inconsistent rationales for this war. Some officials claim Israel pulled us into the conflict while others characterize it as a war of choice. There is no clarity on whether the goal is regime change or what success looks like. History demonstrates that air campaigns alone cannot topple despotic regimes. Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya all prove that U.S. military interventions in the Middle East create lasting insurgencies and civil wars rather than stability. Donald Rumsfeld predicted the Iraq War would last five days to five months, yet it created decades of conflict. The alternative to air strikes is a ground invasion that would cost tens of thousands of American lives and trillions of dollars diverted from healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Americans are already paying higher prices for oil, gas, groceries, and household items because of this conflict. I urge you to demand that Senate leadership suspend all other business until an AUMF debate and vote occurs. This is a disaster of epic proportions that requires immediate Congressional action, not procedural delays while other legislation moves forward.