AMERICANS WILL NOT, DO NOT, SUPPORT AN UNJUSTIFIABLE WAR MACHINE WITH OUR MONEY

War. What is it good for? It must be good for pocketbooks somewhere otherwise it wouldn’t still be going on. But those pocketbooks don’t belong to we the people. We just get to pay for it. Pete Hegseth told Congress the Iran war has cost $37.5B so far. But reporting said that an internal Pentagon estimate of the cost is about $100B. When economists at Moody’s added higher gas prices to the cost of the war, they estimated that it has cost US households about $1,100 each. This week reporting said “[u]nder Trump, the debt held by the federal government has surpassed 100% of GDP. By 2030, it’ll shoot past its all-time record from WWII.” “$4.25-$4.40/gal becoming possible for a national average gas price with diesel likely going to $5.35-$5.50/gal for a national average in the next couple weeks,” wrote the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. Yesterday the Senate took up a joint resolution to force the president to end hostilities with Iran. This would have the force of law behind it, unlike the resolution passed by the House. A joint resolution is usually used for something urgent and straightforward, like a declaration of war. But the Senate declined to advance the joint resolution by a vote of 47 to 49. Four Republican senators did not vote. The Trump administration is trying every trick in the book to get more money out of citizens’ pockets for an un-winnable war that we overwhelmingly do not want. And the GOP Congress shrugs. Even though they are no doubt aware that his plan, if he had/has his way, would be to actually and truly bomb Iran into oblivion. War crimes be damned. He wants a win. No matter the costs in treasure. No matter the costs in lives lost. And he wants $67B more to do it all. Which then would only suffice through September. Is it any wonder that there have been few times in history when Congress has been more hated? And their plan? Take another break and skeedaddle out of DC. The House has checked out until the end of August. Then are set to return to work in DC for only four weeks over the next nearly three months. The Senate is not much better. The chamber is slated to stay in DC through Aug. 7, but will then be out until mid-September and take almost all of October off. Over the next three months, the Senate will only be in session for five weeks. Are you all just hoping it will all go away without you having to do your jobs in any real, brave, or meaningful way? You are failing your constituents and your country. Or as one past Rep put it…”If taxpayers are thinking about it, they are thinking, ‘What exactly am I paying these people for?’” This is what dereliction looks like. And an acknowledgment of complete political defeat. Good luck with your back-home campaigning. Reminder…you have only yourselves to blame.