Gallego Lays Out Cost of Iran War, Torches Trump’s Foreign Policy Doctrine at CAP IDEAS Conference

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) , a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq, opened the Center for American Progress’ IDEAS Conference with remarks centered on the cost the Iran War has on American families and the dangerous foreign policy decisions of the Trump administration. Watch Senator Gallego’s full remarks HERE . “When you look at the price of gas hitting $5 a gallon in Arizona, or the soaring cost of groceries and housing, these aren’t abstract data points. These are the direct consequences of a war of choice in Iran. This is a war that wasn’t planned, wasn’t authorized by Congress, and isn’t making us safer. Trump got his war, and working families got stuck with the bill,” Senator Gallego told the audience . Deployed to Iraq as part of the Marine Corps’ Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Senator Gallego’s regiment suffered some of the heaviest casualties of the Iraq War. It was his experience serving, and supporting his fellow veterans when he returned, that spurred him to get involved in public service. “This feels like déjà vu. Trump and his lackies are more than happy to ship 18- and 19-year-olds off to war — just like they did to my brothers and me. And now, when the President comes to Congress asking for money, he’s not asking for veteran support, but to build a ballroom,” he said . As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator Gallego chaired the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations and served on the Veterans’ Affairs committee. Now in the Senate as a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Gallego intimately knows the impact of President Trump’s illegal war in Iran. “This war, this stupid war of choice, is costing us a billion dollars a day. A billion dollars. Think about what our country could do with that. Think about how we could fund our schools, or support our veterans, who are waiting for pension programs that the United States government said are too expensive,” Gallego continued in his remarks . Gallego also took time to discuss the United States’ standing in the world and offered his recommitment to our partners in Ukraine and allies in Taiwan. He similarly called out the Trump administration for continuing to flirt with invading Cuba and carrying out unauthorized strikes in the Caribbean. The remarks follow his speech at Foreign Policy for America’s 2026 Leadership Summit and leading up to his trip to Ukraine for the Black Sea Security Forum . Relatedly, Senator Gallego recently spoke at the McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum on a panel on Ukraine and at the Atlantic Council on the Colombian elections.