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

I am writing with urgency and alarm as the United States appears to move closer to military confrontation with Iran — a path that risks repeating some of the most devastating strategic and moral failures of recent American history. Recent reporting indicates that military contingency planning and escalating rhetoric from the Trump administration are raising serious concerns about potential unilateral action against Iran. Whether framed as deterrence or leverage, these signals increase the risk of miscalculation and escalation toward a wider regional war. The American people have seen this trajectory before: rapid escalation, incomplete intelligence, weakened diplomatic channels, and an executive branch asserting expansive authority to use force without meaningful congressional consent. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated the catastrophic consequences of open-ended conflict justified by urgency rather than grounded in clear strategy, lawful authorization, or realistic end goals. Those conflicts cost countless lives, destabilized entire regions, drained trillions of dollars, and eroded public trust in government decision-making. Another war with Iran — a far larger and more regionally integrated nation — would carry even greater risks: widespread civilian suffering, retaliatory attacks against U.S. forces and allies, economic shockwaves, and the potential for uncontrollable escalation across the Middle East. This is not the answer. Congress has both the constitutional responsibility and the moral obligation to prevent unauthorized military action. The power to declare war belongs to the legislative branch precisely to prevent unilateral decisions that could entangle the nation in catastrophic conflicts. If Congress fails to act now, it risks surrendering its role as a co-equal branch of government at the moment it is needed most. I urge you to take immediate and decisive action: • Pass binding legislation prohibiting unauthorized military strikes against Iran without explicit congressional authorization. • Block or condition funding to prevent executive branch workarounds that could enable escalation without debate or approval. • Hold urgent oversight hearings requiring sworn testimony from Pentagon and administration officials regarding military planning, escalation scenarios, and legal justification for potential use of force. • Demand transparency around troop deployments, force posture changes, and intelligence claims being used to justify escalation. • Prioritize diplomacy and de-escalation, working with international partners to reopen credible pathways to negotiation and reduce the risk of accidental conflict. • Reassert Congress’s constitutional authority and reject any interpretation of existing authorizations for use of military force as a blank check for new wars. Preventing war is not weakness — it is leadership. The United States must not stumble into another catastrophic conflict through brinkmanship, political calculation, or executive overreach. The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and a Congress willing to stand up for its constitutional role when the stakes are peace or war. I urge you to act now to stop this dangerous trajectory and protect both our democracy and global stability.