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

I am writing with outrage and deep concern over the reported strike on an Iranian girls’ school near Minab on February 28 that killed at least 175 people, most of them children. If the reporting suggesting that U.S. forces may have conducted this strike proves true, it would represent one of the worst civilian casualty events connected to American military action in decades. The killing of schoolchildren is indefensible under any circumstance. It demands immediate transparency, accountability, and a serious reckoning with the policies that allowed such a catastrophe to occur. This incident is even more disturbing in light of the unconscionable and deeply irresponsible rhetoric coming from the Department of Defense. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly stated that U.S. military operations in Iran would not be bound by what he referred to as “stupid rules of engagement.” That statement is shocking. Rules of engagement exist precisely to protect civilians, uphold international law, and ensure that American servicemembers conduct themselves with professionalism and discipline even in the fog of war. To casually dismiss those safeguards is not strength—it is recklessness. And if such an attitude is influencing policy decisions or operational guidance, it raises profound concerns about how military force is currently being authorized and conducted. A small group of senators—Brian Schatz, Patty Murray, Jeanne Shaheen, Jack Reed, Mark Warner, and Chris Coons—have at least spoken publicly and called for an investigation. But the fact that only a handful of lawmakers have stepped forward while the rest of Congress remains largely silent is deeply disturbing. Where is the outrage? Where is the oversight? Where is the leadership? Your constituents are watching the United States drift further into another Middle East war that most Americans do not want, while civilian casualties mount and Congress fails to speak with urgency or moral clarity. The silence from so many elected officials is unacceptable. Congress has a constitutional duty to oversee the use of military force. That duty does not disappear when the political risks become uncomfortable. It is precisely at moments like this—when innocent children are killed and the United States may bear responsibility—that oversight, transparency, and moral leadership matter most. The American people deserve to know what happened in Minab. They deserve to know whether policy decisions—including the weakening or dismissal of rules meant to protect civilians—played a role. And they deserve leaders who are willing to publicly demand answers, not quietly defer to the executive branch while a war escalates. Too many Americans already feel that their representatives are more responsive to powerful lobbying organizations and wealthy donors than to the public’s overwhelming desire to avoid another catastrophic war in the Middle East. Continued silence only deepens that perception and erodes public trust. Get a spine and start speaking with the urgency this moment demands. Demand answers from the Department of Defense. Demand transparency from the administration. Demand accountability if wrongdoing occurred. And above all, start representing the millions of Americans who are deeply alarmed by the direction this conflict is taking. The consequences of silence are enormous. The consequences of inaction are even greater. Your constituents are paying attention. We expect better.