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Slamming Trump’s Inconsistent Messaging & Failure to Heed Intelligence Community’s Assessments on Unauthorized War with Iran
What’s happening: We are now 21 days into President Trump's unauthorized war with Iran. At least 13 American service members are dead, including at least one from Fort Carson, and countless others are injured. Oil prices are through the roof after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The Intelligence Community (IC) warned President Trump what would happen if we went to war with Iran: higher oil prices, attacks on U.S. bases and embassies, and another hardliner as Supreme Leader. Yet Trump ignored their advice and launched his war against Iran – without authorization from Congress, and with unfounded justifications, unclear objectives, and unknown outcomes.
What I believe: I disagree with Trump on most things. But we agree it was a mistake for the United States to deplete our military in the Middle East for 20 years, sending America’s men and women to fight futile wars while China strengthened its hand and Russia changed Europe’s borders by force. Now, despite the IC’s assessment that there was no imminent threat from Iran, we are back at war in the Middle East and risk repeating that history.
Already, this war has funneled more money into the Kremlin’s war machine, drained the number of missile interceptors we can supply Ukraine, forced us to shift missile defenses and troops from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, and prompted President Trump to cancel a scheduled meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. This is just the start of what I fear will be a costly bill for Trump’s war.
President Trump once said: “We are not the policem[a]n of the world.” He campaigned on ending wars, and not starting new ones. Instead, he has turned the United States into the world’s policeman, jury, judge, and executioner – draining vital resources necessary to deterring China and Russia. Just because we have the world’s most advanced military, does not mean we should be in perpetual war all around the world.
What I’m doing: On Wednesday, I questioned Trump’s intelligence agency leaders, including Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, about the President’s unauthorized Iran war. I also voted for a War Powers Resolution to end the war and remove our troops from harm’s way. Republicans blocked this measure, as they did a previous resolution for which I also voted. I have consistently fought to rein in Trump’s unauthorized military actions, and will continue to work to check the President’s recklessness, which leaves the United States less safe.
2. Calling Out Trump’s Hypocrisy with the SAVE Act
What’s happening: This week, the Senate is considering legislation that would make it harder for ordinary American citizens, particularly women, rural Coloradans, and seniors, to register and vote. The SAVE America Act rewrites the way we run elections in America. It rips up the processes familiar to county clerks and election officials, requires that voter rolls be routinely given over to the federal government, and forces voter registration to take place in person – instead of by mail, online, or automatically at the DMV. Most troublingly, it imposes new document requirements for voter registration that many Americans do not have easy access to. Trump claims the SAVE America Act is a method to “guarantee the midterms” this November. In reality, this is an election bill that distorts our shared understanding of what free and fair elections should entail.
What I believe: We all agree that our elections should be secure and free from foreign influence, and that only eligible voters should cast a ballot. However, the concern this legislation hopes to address is almost nonexistent. Records show that just 0.04 percent of voter verification cases were returned as noncitizens, and the SAVE America Act would set our voter registration process back decades. About 146 million Americans don’t have a valid passport, and as many as 69 million married women have changed their last names. If you are one of the more than 60 million Americans who live in rural areas, you might now need to drive hundreds of miles to stand in line at a local election agency. This bill is simply the latest in a long line of legislative efforts to limit democracy in this country.
What I’m doing: This week, I spoke on the Senate floor to call out the numerous ways that the SAVE America Act would make it harder for ordinary American citizens to register and vote. I will continue to oppose Trump's blatant efforts to undermine our public elections, no matter how long it takes.
3. Continuing to Fight for the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act
What’s happening: In December, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Act, my bill to complete the AVC, passed both the House and Senate without objection. Later that month, President Trump vetoed this legislation, making it harder for 50,000 residents across 39 communities in Southeastern Colorado to access affordable, clean drinking water.
What I’m doing: On Tuesday, I led Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd in fighting for the inclusion of the Finish the AVC Act in the forthcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). WRDA is a biannual bill in Congress that serves as an opportunity to advance critical water infrastructure projects.
What I believe: Southeastern Colorado’s rural, economically vulnerable communities have waited generations for the federal government to fulfill its promise. Trump’s political games should not stop Coloradans from getting the clean water they deserve. Including the Finish the AVC Act in the 2026 WRDA is not only backed by precedent, it also follows tradition of using WRDA to advance critical water infrastructure projects. I will not stop working until southeastern Colorado communities finally receive safe, reliable drinking water.
4. IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
- On Thursday, I introduced the Rural Hospital Revitalization Act, legislation to help rural hospitals across the country modernize and rebuild aging infrastructure. I’m grateful to have worked with rural hospitals on the ground in Colorado to write this legislation, which will help eligible facilities upgrade their infrastructure and expand capacity so they can better serve their communities and create jobs today and into the future.
- Last week, I joined Senator John Hickenlooper and Representatives Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd to lead 80 of our colleagues in submitting a public comment opposing proposed structural changes to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. Trump’s decision to dismantle NCAR is pure retribution against Colorado for refusing to capitulate to the President’s political agenda. NCAR is a cornerstone of disaster preparedness and weather research that protects our wildland firefighters, first responders, and rural communities. I will continue fighting, along with many of Colorado’s universities, to protect NCAR and the scientists and universities that contribute to its unparalleled research.
- Sunday was the final day of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. Congratulations to Colorado’s own Malik Jones and the entire USA Hockey Paralympic Sled Hockey Team for winning gold – the team’s fifth straight Paralympic victory and a new record for consecutive golds in Olympic or Paralympic hockey.
- Eid Mubarak, Colorado! I hope Muslim families in Colorado and around the world enjoyed a month of reflection, gratitude, and community. I also wish everyone a wonderful Eid al-Fitr celebration.
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