The illegal and deeply unpopular U.S. war of aggression against Iran is incurring massive human and financial costs, which will continue to climb for years to come. The Pentagon has already spent billions on weapons used in the assault, and is now preparing to ask for even more money. A new $50 billion request to fund additional munitions is expected to land in Congress by the end of the week. 

Rather than spending $50 billion to fuel more wanton death and destruction, Congress should be funding human needs. The entire $50 billion package, which will top-up the Pentagon’s already colossal $1 trillion budget, would be enough to help reverse some of the harms of H.R.1, including all of the following:

• Extend the ACA healthcare subsidies for one year to save millions of families from devastating insurance premium increases ($35 billion);

• Restore annual SNAP benefits to 2.4 million people who lost their benefits due to work requirements this month and are now at risk of hunger (about $5.5 billion), and 

• Provide Medicaid services to nearly 2 million people who couldn’t otherwise access healthcare this year (about $9.5 billion).

Congress must not permit a dollar more of public money to be spent on this catastrophic war of choice. Our tax dollars should be supporting families at home, not bombing them abroad.