Katherine M. Clark

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the privilege of joining the Union of Concerned Scientists and more than 300 of my constituents for a town hall to discuss the Trump administration's continued, devastating attacks on science.

The event--``What's at Stake, What's Possible: A Massachusetts Science Town Hall''--featured distinguished professors from Boston University, a Ph.D. candidate at MIT, and a local small business owner.

Each spoke movingly about the damage inflicted by this administration's irrational, indefensible decision to cut research funding, politicize federal grantmaking, and destroy the institutions responsible for driving American innovation.

The takeaway was clear: The cost of this war on science is nothing less than our global competitiveness, our environment, our health, and ultimately our lives.

We must act now to restore scientific integrity and protect our scientists from the personal, destructive whims of politicians.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we have been at war with Iran for 2\1/2\ months. What do we have to show for it? There is no victory. There is no strategy. We still don't have an objective. In fact, the President keeps saying this war is over, but we have 50,000 troops deployed to the region. The strait is still closed. Shipping is still blockaded, and negotiations that should be about making sure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon are completely stalled out.

Meanwhile, every single day, working Americans are paying the price. Gas prices have spiked. They have skyrocketed through the roof. Utility bills are going up. Because of increased shipping costs, we are seeing further increases in the price of food, clothes, toys, car parts, everything that you can imagine a family needs.

There is still no end in sight, and there won't be an end in sight unless Republicans decide to work for the American people and do their job.

The single fastest way to bring down costs is to end this war. Once again, Republicans are going to have an opportunity to do just that.

Once again, they have a chance to bring our servicemembers home and end this chaos.

Once again, they have a chance to side with working families and our troops.

The American people deserve better than they are getting from the GOP. Vote ``yes.'' Show the American people you are on their side.

Mr. Speaker, 6 weeks ago, Democrats brought a War Powers Resolution to this House floor. We called on Republicans to join us and bring this conflict to an end. They refused.

Mike Johnson declared with pride that Donald Trump's mission is nearly accomplished.

Well, 6 weeks later, what are Americans seeing? We are seeing gas prices out of control, grocery prices going up, and a fertilizer shortage that is threatening to drive prices even higher. Americans are seeing hundreds of casualties in a war that no one has given them the respect to explain.

However, one thing is clear: Americans are being asked to foot the bill with the lives of their sons and daughters. With the $2 billion a day that we are spending on this conflict, that could be going to help Americans afford to go see a doctor, help feed our seniors and hungry veterans, help drive down prices and help Americans who are working hard and not making it be able to afford the rising cost of gas and housing and groceries that are being driven ever higher by this conflict.

Before this war, we were in a position of strength. Iran was weakened. The Strait of Hormuz was in no danger of being closed. However, now, Donald Trump and his enablers have marched us into a position of far more weakness.

Our goal now of this conflict is to return to the status quo before this conflict, but who is paying the price? Who is paying the price for this? It is the American people. Don't take my word for it. President Donald Trump told us because of this war: It is not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare. Imagine that. That is an American working family last doctrine.

Mr. Speaker, today, Republicans have a choice. Are you going to continue to enable him and his madness, or are you going to prioritize Americans, the working families of this country, and vote ``yes'' for this resolution?