Hickenlooper, Bennet, Duckworth Introduce Bill to Prevent Trump Admin From Hiding True Cost of Iran War

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Benet, and Tammy Duckworth, along with 15 of their Democratic colleagues, introduced the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act to stop President Trump’s attempts to hide how long his war against Iran has lasted, the true cost of the war, and dishonor the sacrifice of our troops injured and killed in combat. “Brave Americans who sacrifice everything for this country shouldn’t have their service rewritten by an administration more interested in political convenience than accountability,” said Hickenlooper. “Altering casualty numbers doesn’t just hide the true cost of this war. It diminishes the sacrifice of every service member who was wounded or killed. They and their loved ones deserve better.” “The Trump administration’s decision to reclassify the deaths of four service members and the injuries of more than 200 is not only dishonest; it is an affront to the service and sacrifice these men and women, and their families, have made,” said Bennet. “Our legislation will stop this administration from obscuring the continuing cost of President Trump’s ongoing war with Iran and, more importantly, will provide confirmation that those who have answered the call to duty and their families will receive the rightful recognition and benefits they are owed.” “I refuse to let Donald Trump dishonor the service of our heroes just because it benefits him politically to lie about the length of this illegal campaign and hide the true cost of his war from the American people,” said Duckworth. “Trump knows his war of choice is unpopular, which is why he’s manipulating casualty records to try and fool the public into believing it’s been less of a disaster. It’s an insult to our fallen heroes, and it could jeopardize the benefits of troops and civilians he continues to put in harm’s way. Our brave men and women in uniform deserve accountability, not a Commander in Chief who plays games with their sacrifices.” The bill comes after the Pentagon recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s illegal Iran war—including four killed and over 200 wounded service members—under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury. This is a shameless attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people. To ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act specifically: Prohibits redesignating an ongoing conflict if the administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy; Prohibits manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation; Requires restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notification of next-of-kin about the correction; Prohibits the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and Retroactively restores all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026. Hickenlooper has been outspoken about Trump’s illegal war in Iran. To date, Hickenlooper has voted 13 times to end the Iran War. Recently, Hickenlooper introduced a War Powers Resolution to end the war, directing President Trump to terminate U.S. military hostilities against Iran. He has consistently condemned the administration for sidestepping Congress and dragging America into a war with no clear objective – one that risks American lives and that Americans overwhelmingly oppose . Full text of the bill is available HERE . ###