Schiff Whines About ‘Cost’ Of Iran War As US Chokes Iran’s Economy
Senate Democrats renewed their criticism of President Donald J. Trump’s Iran strategy this week, with Sen. Adam Schiff delivering a sharply worded floor speech focused on the human and financial costs of the conflict—even as the administration signals that hostilities have effectively come to a halt.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Schiff repeatedly referred to the situation as “Trump’s Iran war,” emphasizing reported casualties and economic strain.
“We are now in the second month of Trump’s Iran war, and we have already tragically lost 13 service members, including one chief warrant officer, Robert Marzan, from my home state of California. We are now in the second month of Trump’s Iran war and more than 200 service members have been injured, some very seriously,” Schiff said.
“We are now in the second month of Trump’s Iran war, and we have already had two American pilots shot down over Iran, necessitating a rescue under extremely dangerous conditions. A heroic rescue, a daring rescue, and one that was only possible because we have the most capable special forces in the world. But a rescue mission that we must all acknowledge put an incredible number of our service members at grave risk and could have easily gone wrong,” he added.
Schiff also took aim at the financial cost of the operation, arguing that resources could have been better spent domestically.
“We are now in the second month of Trump’s Iran war, and we have squandered tens of billions of dollars that could have been used to build hospitals and affordable housing, to build childcare centers and senior centers at a time when the president says we can’t afford daycare or Medicare or Medicaid. We are now in the second month of Trump’s Iran war, and Americans are paying astronomical prices at the gas pump, at the grocery store, on their utility bills, and for medical bills.”
“But the president’s actions and inaction are only making life more unaffordable for our citizens. We are now in the second month of Trump’s Iran war, and the president has offered no proposal to even authorize the use of force in Iran, nor have Republicans demanded one. We have not had a single open hearing on the war, nor have Republicans called for one,” Schiff continued.
“The case for the war in Iran has never been made, will never be made, and my colleagues will not put the matter to a vote for fear they will lose that vote or be held accountable for it,” he concluded.
Despite the criticism, the Trump administration has indicated that active hostilities have effectively ended under a ceasefire arrangement—raising new legal and political questions in Washington. According to officials, U.S. and Iranian forces have not exchanged fire since early April.
“For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” a U.S. official told Reuters.
The timeline is significant because the War Powers Resolution requires presidents to obtain congressional authorization within 60 days of initiating military action or cease operations. That deadline was set to expire May 1.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the ceasefire effectively pauses the clock.
“We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire,” he said.
Democrats pushed back on that interpretation. Sen. Tim Kaine countered: “I do not believe the statute would support that. I think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it’s going to pose a really important legal question for the administration there.”
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats made yet another attempt to force a vote under the War Powers framework to end U.S. involvement in the conflict—but failed for the sixth time. The resolution drew support from nearly all Democrats, along with Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Rand Paul.
“After two months of war, 13 service members’ lives lost, and billions of dollars squandered, it is time we recognized that the price we have paid is already too high. We must say no to this unauthorized war of choice,” Schiff said in a separate statement.
Supporters of the administration, however, argue that President Trump’s approach—combining decisive military action with rapid de-escalation and economic pressure—has avoided a prolonged conflict while significantly weakening Iran’s strategic capabilities.
With a ceasefire now in place and legal questions surrounding the War Powers timeline unresolved, the debate in Washington is shifting from battlefield developments to constitutional authority—and whether the president’s actions ultimately strengthened U.S. national security without dragging the country into another endless war.