John,

On October 7th, 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan — plunging our nation into a war that to this day has no end in sight.

Young people who have never known a nation at peace can now be trained, deployed, and perhaps even killed in a conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives and trillions of dollars.

This reality is an ever present reminder of the refusal to center international peace as a common goal, and our failure to elect leaders who would stand up for what is right even when it’s hard.

If throughout the 2000s Democrats in Congress like Eliot Engel had the courage to stand up against the Patriot Act, the constant escalation of conflict, or the invasive military industrial complex, so many people would not have lost their lives.

We didn’t have those leaders then, but we can have them now. As we stand on the cusp of war with Saudi Arabia and other regional powers, we need a peace-driven leadership more than ever. Will you sign your name to demand an end to our endless wars in the Middle East?

Sign your name »

Just imagine what life would be like if we had spent the $5.9 trillion used for war in the Middle East on infrastructure, education, health care, or investing in working-class Americans.

This is the price of leaders who refuse to be bold. But as we send more and more Justice Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Ro Khanna to Congress, we shift the status quo away from a blank check for war towards restraint, compassion, and diplomacy.

In solidarity,

Justice Democrats