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  2. Making the Case: September 16, 2026

Making the Case: September 16, 2026

THE CASE

Last night, the House voted for the third time to end Trump’s war in Iran, but nearly every Republican voted to continue it. At the same time, gas prices hit their highest level at this point in any recent election cycle, and Americans are feeling the pinch. For the overwhelming majority of House Republicans, this is their seventh time voting to support Trump’s war in Iran, either in support of funding or continued hostilities. As Republicans lay at Trump’s feet, Americans are desperate for relief from rising costs and high inflation, especially from the pain they’re already feeling at the pump.

KEY FACTS AND DATA

  • House Republicans vote to continue Trump’s war in Iran as gas prices surge.

    • Last night, the House voted 220-204 to end Trump’s war in Iran after nearly seven months of hostilities. Just seven Republicans voted to stop the war, with 204 voting for continued conflict. [Politico]

    • As gas prices in Iowa hit an all-time high for the year, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson voted to continue the war. Her support for continued conflict even drew a contrast with her Republican colleagues in Iowa’s congressional delegation. Rep. Zach Nunn and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who both face tight reelection bids this fall, voted for the war powers resolution after previously voting 6 times to continue the conflict in Iran and send Trump $73 billion to fund the war. [Wall Street Journal; House Roll Call 85, 114, 170, 199, 282, 281]]

    • While the vast majority of Republicans roll over to support Trump’s war, gas prices just hit $4.36 per gallon, a $0.25 increase in just the past two weeks. Diesel prices also spiked, hitting $6.31 per gallon. [AAA; Yahoo! Finance; Newsweek]

    • Gas prices are the highest they’ve been at this point in any recent election cycle, according to data going back to 1990. [Yahoo! Finance]

      • Gas prices hit $3.88 at this point in the 2012 election cycle, their second highest price on record. Following the spike, private citizen Donald Trump tweeted, “Gas prices are at crazy levels–fire Obama!” [Yahoo! Finance; @realDonaldTrump]

  • While Republicans push prices to historic highs, Americans are suffering in historic ways.

    • The Pentagon recently increased the estimated cost of the Iran war by $4.5 billion, putting the total cost to taxpayers at over $42 billion. [NewsNation]

      • The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Iran war has cost taxpayers $246 million per day in its first five months and could cost an additional $2-3 billion for every month of continued fighting. [CNBC]

    • On top of the military costs of the war, American consumers have spent $107 billion in additional fuel costs thanks to the Iran war, more than $500 million each day since the war began on February 28. [Wall Street Journal]

      • Americans’ personal saving rate hit 3% in July, which is one of the lowest levels since the Great Recession. [Wall Street Journal]

    • Gas prices are spiking at the height of the crop-harvesting season, crushing farmers’ bottom lines. According to a July study, farmers paid $1.4 billion more for diesel in 2026 than the year before. Farmers have likely paid even more with diesel prices spiking in recent weeks. [Joint Economic Committee Minority, Newsweek]

      • One Virginia grain and cattle farmer said he is paying just under $1,000 to fill the tank of his combine harvester and he and other farmers “just can’t survive” the high prices. [Newsweek]

  • The Iran War continues to be extremely unpopular, and Americans know who to blame.

    • 79% of Americans believe the Iran War has not been worth the costs, and 87% say the U.S. has not achieved its goals. [Marquette Law]

    • 56% of Americans blame the war in Iran for inflation, and 66% disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation. [Economist/YouGov]

    • 80% of Americans say the price of gas has gone up in the last six months. [Marquette Law]

    • 61% of likely voters say the Republican Party is most responsible for rising gas prices. [Data for Progress]

CALL TO ACTION

Share this video of truck drivers explaining how they’re hurting from Trump’s high gas prices.

(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)