Congressman Pat Ryan Introduces “Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act,” Leads House Colleagues in Demanding Trump and Hegseth Stop Hiding True Cost of Iran War

September 17, 2026 Press Release Congressman Pat Ryan Introduces “Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act,” Leads House Colleagues in Demanding Trump and Hegseth Stop Hiding True Cost of Iran War Ryan has been the leading voice of opposition to the war in Iran; he has voted to stop the war 6 times, leads the “No Funds for Iran War Act,” and has repeatedly called on Secretary Hegseth to resign over his massive betrayals to US troops and citizens Ryan sits on the House Armed Services Committee, is the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress, and served 2 combat tours in Iraq earning him two Bronze Stars WASHINGTON, DC  – U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan – an Iraq War combat veteran and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress –  today led 11 of his Democratic Veteran colleagues in introducing legislation to honor the immense sacrifices made by US troops in the Iran War,  and stop Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth’s desperate attempts to obscure the true cost to our troops and the American people. Ryan’s Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act would ban the Secretary of Defense from manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits of our servicemembers and public servants. The bill introduction comes after the Pentagon unprecedentedly recategorized recent casualties suffered in Trump’s Iran war—including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers—under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in a shameless attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people. “Every Patriot deployed to this war in Iran – the 50,000 still in theater, the hundreds wounded, and especially the 18 killed – are American heroes. They deserve to be honored as such – not swept under the rug by a President and SecDef so humiliated by their failure that they’d rather dishonor the troops than tell the truth,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “It’s a total betrayal of our armed forces by the very people that swore to protect and do right by them. I’m proud to lead so many of my fellow veterans in Congress to make it clear we will not stand for the Trump Administration’s disgraceful disrespect of American heroes – before, during, or after their deployments.” To ban the Secretary of Defense from hiding the true cost of war, the Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act specifically: Bans Arbitrary, Unjustified Recategorizing of Designated Contingency Operations by prohibiting redesignating an ongoing conflict if the Administration continues to mobilize forces against the same enemy; Prevents Manipulation of Casualty Records by prohibiting manipulation of casualty records by falsely redesignating a contingency operation; Restores Casualty Records of Our Fallen and Wounded Heroes in the Iran War by requiring restoration of casualty records for Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026, and notify next-of-kin about the correction; Bans Cutting Hard-Earned Benefits for Troops and Civilian Personnel by prohibiting the modification of eligibility for deployment-related personnel benefits on the basis of falsely redesignating a contingency operation; and Restores Benefits to Personnel Supporting Iran War by retroactively restoring all covered benefits entitled to members of the Armed Services and civilian employees who have supported Iran-related operations since February 28, 2026. In addition to Ryan, the Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives and Democratic Veterans Eugene Vindman, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan, Jason Crow, Herb Conaway, Derek T. Tran, Mike Thompson, Jimmy Panetta, Ted W. Lieu, and Salud Carbajal. The legislation is endorsed by VoteVets and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “Families who have lost a servicemember deserve an accurate, permanent record of their sacrifice. Congressman Pat Ryan's companion bill in the House helps ensure that record can't be rewritten. VoteVets is proud to support his leadership on this issue,” said Vote Vets Senior Advisor Major General (Ret.) Paul Eaton . “We are proud to stand with Congressman Ryan in demanding the Department of Defense be accountable and transparent in their decision to reclassify casualty records,” said Jess Finucan, Director of Policy & Advocacy for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “It is imperative to Congress and to the American people that we understand the true cost of war, not just in dollars but in lives forever affected. Purposefully reclassifying records to minimize the impacts of war is negligent and is a disservice to the servicemembers and families who have borne the costs. The Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act ensures transparent, accurate accounting and prevents long-term, negative impact on benefits for those who have served in harm’s way.” Ryan has become the leading voice of Democratic opposition to the war in Iran. He has cosponsored and voted in favor of War Powers Resolutions to end the war in Iran five separate times. In May, amid reports that the Pentagon would seek $200B in supplemental funding for the war, Ryan introduced the No Funds for Iran War Act , which would prohibit the use of additional taxpayer funds for military action against Iran in the absence of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) or official declaration of war from Congress. In April, Ryan confronted Hegseth himself during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, pressing him on his failure to protect troops at Port Shuaiba. Following new reporting on the strike on Port Shuaiba , Ryan opened an investigation in August into how the Department of Defense failed to provide adequate medical care to service members injured and demanded answers about the Department's lack of preparation for a strike against Port Shuaiba. Most recently, Ryan spoke on the House floor against handing Hegseth’s Pentagon a $1.5 trillion blank check through the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). He criticized colleagues for again refusing to consider his No Funds for Iran War Act , especially following the successful passage of a War Powers Resolution. Congressman Ryan is a U.S. Army veteran, served two combat tours in Iraq, and is the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in the U.S. House of Representatives. Amid recent threats to veterans’ benefits, national security concerns, and rising threats worldwide, Congressman Ryan led his fellow veterans in Congress to create the Democratic Veterans Caucus. He sits on the House Armed Services Committee and has led extensive legislation to deliver relief for veterans, servicemembers, and military families. ### Issues : Freedom for All