Making Life More Affordable

Floor Speech

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Mr. MENEFEE. Mr. Speaker, when I was 5 years old, Tupac Shakur said: ``You know, it's funny when it rains it pours. They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor.''

Those words hit differently today.

Mr. President, nobody wants this war, and the American people cannot afford it.

I am not an economist, but I do know this: The U.S. war with Iran has rattled global markets, driven up oil prices more than 40 percent, and sparked real fears of a worldwide recession. We feel it at home. Gas is more expensive than it has been in a very long time. Flights cost more, and groceries cost more.

However, this is bigger than just economics. It is about accountability. I am a lawyer, and I know that every President swears an oath to defend the Constitution, and that Constitution empowers Congress to declare war, not the President. In this instance, Congress was sidelined. The American people got no clear cause, no strategy, and no endgame.

I say this as a proud son of two veterans. Their sacrifice meant something. Mr. Speaker, you do not send our sons and our daughters into harm's way without purpose, without justification, and without an imminent threat.

We cannot afford this war, not economically, and not morally. When a leader promises peace but delivers war, that is not just a policy failure; that is a betrayal.

Americans do not support this war, and the President should end it immediately.

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