For the fourth time, I supported a war powers resolution to rein in President Trump’s war in Iran. Finally, enough Republicans (thankfully) voted with Democrats to pass the resolution out of the House. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn. Both chambers must come together to stop this war before it costs American families even more at the pump, balloons our deficit even more, and takes even more lives.

Congress should have exercised its constitutional authority to declare war more than three months ago when the President first attacked Iran and started this war. The Trump Administration has still not proven that Iran posed a credible imminent threat. Even worse, the administration has failed to achieve any of its stated objectives: ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions, removing its highly enriched uranium, or regime change. Enough is enough. I’m glad that four Republicans put the American people first and helped pass this resolution. We are stronger as a Congress and as a nation when we put aside partisan polarization and work toward commonsense measures together.  

On Wednesday, I joined fellow members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) to welcome scientists who marched from New York to D.C. to highlight the devastating cuts to U.S. climate and weather research under the Trump Administration. One of the marchers is a post doctorate student with San Diego’s own Scripps Institute. Hear directly from him about why this effort is so important, here.  

Funding cuts to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Science Foundation (NSF) have kneecapped the world-class research ecosystem that made America great in the 20th Century. I've heard directly from San Diegans who are students and researchers that cuts by this Administration have devastated their work, put American health and well-being at risk, and undermined our ability to compete with other nations.  

The Administration recently announced that they will dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, which provides real-time data on sea level rise, ocean temperatures, and storm systems. For coastal cities like San Diego, this will take a serious toll on the ocean data the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and others rely on to keep communities safe and informed. China now far outpaces us in research and development. To maintain our leadership and fight climate change, we must invest in science, not undercut it.   

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Thanks, and take care.