Hickenlooper Details Expansive Costs of Iran War in Senate Floor Speech Ahead of Vote to End War

Hickenlooper: “You’re paying for this war every day: when you fill up your tank, buy your groceries, and pay your rent. ” This afternoon, Hickenlooper voted to end the war in Iran WASHINGTON – Ahead of a Senate vote to end the Iran war, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper took to the Senate floor yesterday and highlighted the true costs of the war that go beyond the Pentagon’s estimate of $43.6 billion. He urged his Republican colleagues to break with the president to end the illegal, costly war. “I don’t want to talk about what that 43 billion dollars includes. Today, I want to talk about what that number doesn’t include,” said Hickenlooper on the Senate floor. “ Wars aren’t measured just in dollars and cents. It is measured in lives lost, whether Americans feel safer and better off.” Watch his full speech HERE . “Take the 19 brave servicemembers whose deaths have been disclosed by the Pentagon. That is 19 families who have lost someone irreplaceable. In just a few weeks, children will trick-or-treat without a parent. A few weeks later, families will gather for Thanksgiving with an empty seat at the table,” he continued. Hickenlooper raised the deeply concerning reports that suggest the Pentagon has not properly disclosed the real casualty numbers of the war. “ Reports say that the Pentagon is not being transparent with Congress or the American people. What we know is every one of those lives deserves our gratitude. And every one of those families deserves an accurate accounting of this war’s human cost.” He continued to emphasize the toll on all of our servicemembers deployed in the region, “ Since February, more than 800 servicemembers have been wounded in the Middle East. Some went days without receiving adequate hospital care. Many face life-altering injuries… Back at home, their loved ones are left worrying and wondering whether they will be home for the holidays.” He also noted how the Iran war has weakened our national security and undermined our position in the global economy. “Since June, the war has consumed between half and two-thirds of our key missile-defense interceptors. Even with increased production, it will take at least five years to rebuild those stockpiles. Every interceptor we fire in Iran is one we don’t have for future combat. “At the same time, we’ve shown Iran it can seize control of one of the world’s most critical waterways and bring global trade to its knees.  A quarter of the world’s oil and a third of the world’s fertilizer trade used to flow through the Strait of Hormuz. No longer. We’ve given our adversaries a roadmap and even a test drive for holding the global economy hostage, which the Houthis have already exploited in the Bab el Mandeb Strait.” Hickenlooper also detailed how the war in Iran has increased gas, diesel, and grocery prices for Americans. “Before the war, the national average for diesel was $3.72 per gallon. This week, it’s over $6.50 per gallon. That’s a nearly 75% increase. That means a small farmer using 1,000 gallons of diesel during a harvest is paying roughly $2,800 more just to do the same work. Even Republicans have said it: this is ‘killing farmers’ income.’ “The war is also impacting Americans’ grocery bills. Between July 2025 and July 2026, fresh vegetable prices have increased over 6%, beef has climbed over 9%, and tomatoes have gone up nearly 13%. You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to drive to the grocery store and feed your family.” He also highlighted how the war has hurt prospective homeowners, increasing interest rates. “ Before the Iran war, the average 30-year mortgage rate was hovering at around 6% – still too high for many families. Today? It’s above 7%. For the average Colorado homebuyer, that difference adds up fast. That’s a mortgage that’s $280 more every month. Almost $4,000 every year. And over $100,000 over a 30-year mortgage.” Hickenlooper has introduced a War Powers Resolution to direct President Trump to terminate U.S. military hostilities against Iran and has voted repeatedly to end the president’s war. Last week, Hickenlooper also spoke on the Senate floor calling out President Trump’s corruption and the cost-of-living emergency that he’s created. For a full video of Hickenlooper’s remarks, click HERE . A full transcript of his remarks as prepared for delivery is available below: Mr. President, 43.6 billion dollars and counting. That’s the Pentagon’s estimate for how much it has spent on the illegal war in Iran. That’s a lot of money. In fact, it’s so much money that if every American family gave $500, you still wouldn’t have enough to pay for this war. The missiles. The munitions. The warships. Over 43 billion dollars of your taxpayer money wasted for no discernible benefit. But I don’t want to talk about what that 43 billion dollars includes. Today, I want to talk about what that number doesn’t include. Wars aren’t measured just in dollars and cents. It is measured in lives lost, whether Americans feel safer and better off. And by those accounts, the costs are enormous. Take the 19 brave servicemembers whose deaths have been disclosed by the Pentagon. That is 19 families who have lost someone irreplaceable. In just a few weeks, children will trick-or-treat without a parent. A few weeks later, families will gather for Thanksgiving with an empty seat at the table. “I will never recover from this,” one widow wrote on social media. What’s even more heartbreaking is that we don’t know exactly how many servicemembers have died in the Middle East amid this war. Reports say that the Pentagon is not being transparent with Congress or the American people. What we know is every one of those lives deserves our gratitude. And every one of those families deserves an accurate accounting of this war’s human cost. Since February, more than 800 servicemembers have been wounded in the Middle East. Some went days without receiving adequate hospital care. Many face life-altering injuries. Tens of thousands of their fellow servicemembers are still deployed, fighting a war that this administration still refuses to call a war. Back at home, their loved ones are left worrying and wondering whether they will be home for the holidays. You won’t find those costs in the 43 billion dollar price tag. Then there’s the staggering cost to America’s national security. Since June, the war has consumed between half and two-thirds of our key missile-defense interceptors. Even with increased production, it will take at least five years to rebuild those stockpiles. Every interceptor we fire in Iran is one we don’t have for future combat. Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases, along with our relationships with the allies and partners who agreed to host them as a bulwark against Iran. That premise has been turned on its head. At the same time, we’ve shown Iran it can seize control of one of the world’s most critical waterways and bring global trade to its knees. A quarter of the world’s oil and a third of the world’s fertilizer trade used to flow through the Strait of Hormuz. No longer. We’ve given our adversaries a roadmap and even a test drive for holding the global economy hostage, which the Houthis have already exploited in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. America’s adversaries are celebrating our distraction, this futility, and these mounting costs. Every dollar we spend on Iran is a dollar we’re not spending modernizing our military to protect against the threat of an ascendant China. Every warship that’s deployed to the Arabian Sea is one less warship that’s available to protect the South China Sea. But you won’t find those costs in the $43 billion price tag. Then there’s the cost to YOU, the American people. You’re paying for this war every day: when you fill up your tank, buy your groceries, and pay your rent. Before the war, the national average for diesel was $3.72 per gallon. This week, it’s over $6.50 per gallon. That’s a nearly 75% increase. That means a small farmer using 1,000 gallons of diesel during a harvest is paying roughly $2,800 more just to do the same work. Even Republicans have said it: this is quote “killing farmers’ income.” The war is also impacting Americans’ grocery bills. Between July 2025 and July 2026, fresh vegetable prices have increased over 6%, beef has climbed over 9%, and tomatoes have gone up nearly 13%. You shouldn’t have to be a millionaire to drive to the grocery store and feed your family. Few have felt the financial costs of this war more than prospective homebuyers. Before the Iran war, the average 30-year mortgage rate was hovering at around 6% – still too high for many families. Today? It’s above 7%. For the average Colorado homebuyer, that difference adds up fast. That’s a mortgage that’s $280 more every month. Almost $4,000 every year. And over $100,000 over a 30-year mortgage. That’s real money that could go to childcare, your child’s college, or savings. And for many, it means buying a home just doesn’t make financial sense, even if you’ve been saving up for years. You won’t see those trade-offs reflected in the Pentagon’s $43 billion price tag for the war. And finally, what is the cost of this war on our Democracy? James Madison once wrote to his friend Thomas Jefferson that “the Executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and most prone to it.” That’s why the Founders gave Congress the power to declare war. Not the President. Not the Supreme Court. Congress. And yet, not a single senator has introduced a legislative measure to formally declare war on Iran. Mr. President, you may have noticed that until now, I have not mentioned President Trump. That is not because the President bears no responsibility for this war. He most certainly does. President Trump unilaterally made the decision to enter this costly, unwanted war. But the decision about whether it continues rests with Congress. And to my Republican colleagues who are wrestling with this issue, just ask yourself: Is this war making your constituents’ lives better? That isn’t a partisan question. It is a question every senator has a duty to answer. Because whether the President is a Republican or a Democrat, Congress cannot surrender its constitutional power simply because the President belongs to our party. We all took an oath to defend the Constitution — not a president. We all took an oath to serve the American people — not a party. President Trump made the decision to enter this war. But whether this war continues is now a decision for us. What is the true cost of this war, and the cost of allowing it to continue? This week, the Senate will get another chance to decide. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to end this war now and for good. Thank you, Mr. President. ###