TO STOP ENDLESS WAR IN IRAN AND BEYOND, CONGRESS SHOULD RESCIND THE MONEY TO FIGHT

[Ellen Thomas]

An Article By David Vine Published by Common Dreams April 21, 2026

Friends, During IPB's Tax Day Global Days of Action on Military Spending webinar, David Vine gave an unexpected, forceful, and compelling talk. He went beyond urging that we do all that we can to oppose Trump's ghastly plan to increase military spending by $500 Billion Dollars while slashing funding for everything from education and climate to health care and housing. Rather than only organizing and responding defensively to oppose the increase, which we have to do, (demos, pressing members of Congress, webinars, and everything else we can think of) David urged us to go on the OFFENSIVE. He reminded us that we can take back a big chunk of money already allocated for new weapons systems, foreign military bases, propaganda and more, but not funds like G.I. paychecks, veterans benefits, etc. that would impact troops and their families. David put forth realistic proposals about how the rescinded allocations could be spent: returning the money to citizens in the form of $600 to $1,200 stimulus checks (or a “peace dividend”), increasing funding for health care and housing, or some lowering of the national debt, ICE and Homeland Security would be other places to start. I hadn’t known that there is actually a long history of Congress voting for recissions of many kinds of allocations. David is honest enough to concede that we won’t win recission of these allocations during this, or maybe even the next session of Congress. BUT it provides us with positive and inclusive visions to build the future for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. So, please read his article and share it with friends and colleagues. Joseph As a candidate for president, Donald Trump infamously promised to end endless wars and be the president of peace. In office, President Trump has launched illegal regime change wars in Iran and Venezuela; bombed at least five other countries; threatened war against Cuba, Greenland, Mexico, Panama, and Colombia; and supported Israel’s genocide in Gaza and war in Lebanon. Despite a two-week ceasefire and diplomatic negotiations with Iran, Trump has deployed thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, while “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has made renewed threats to attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure, widely considered a war crime. For the next fiscal year, Trump has requested the largest military budget in US history, $1.5 trillion. He has also indicated he will ask for up to $200 billion more to fund the war in Iran. By all indications, Trump looks likely to return to war, if not in Iran, somewhere else. Trump’s embrace of endless wars already has killed and injured tens of thousands, displaced millions, squandered tens of billions of taxpayer dollars, driven up prices on gas and other necessities, created a global economic crisis, and risked wider catastrophe and World War III. And don’t forget Trump’s genocidal threats to “wipe out” Iranian civilization, implying a potential nuclear attack. Faced with the threat of more endless war in Iran and beyond, Congress must do everything in its power to stop Trump. One tool Congress hasn’t used is its power to immediately cut off money for wars in Iran and beyond. With constitutional authority over government spending, Congress can use its rescission power—that is, the power to rescind, or take back, money previously appropriated to government agencies. Specifically, Congress should rescind around one-third of this year’s discretionary budgets for the “Department of War” and Department of Energy, where nuclear weapons spending is hidden, while avoiding cuts that would harm military personnel and their families. Originally published by Common Dreams April 21, 2026

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