{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-opposes-defense-bill-fails-end-illegal-war-iran-and-advances", "Larson Opposes Defense Bill that Fails to End Illegal War in Iran and Advances MAGA Culture War Agenda", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "John B. Larson", "L000557", "larson.house.gov", "larson", "https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted against the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after House Republicans refused to consider amendments to rein in Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth\u2019s abuses of power at the Pentagon, including their illegal war in Iran. On the House floor, Republicans also added a discriminatory gender-affirming healthcare ban for servicemembers and attached the so-called \u201cSAVE America Act\u201d to the legislation, which would make it harder for millions of women, people of color, students, and active-duty troops to cast their ballots\u2014the worst voting restrictions since Jim Crow.\n\n\u201cWhile support for our troops should always be bipartisan, House Republicans have repeatedly turned this process into nothing more than a vehicle to advance some of this president\u2019s worst abuses of power,\u201d said Larson. \u201cIt fails to end Trump\u2019s illegal war in Iran\u2014which has claimed the lives of 18 brave servicemembers\u2014while authorizing over $1 trillion in funding for the Pentagon, a record. It gives the President and Secretary Hegseth a green light for their unnecessary \u2018Department of War\u2019 name change, costing taxpayers up to $125 million. It includes a cruel healthcare ban for transgender troops and family members, and even includes the so-called \u2018SAVE America Act,\u2019 which would make it harder for millions of Americans to exercise their right to vote. President Trump needs to be held accountable in Congress, in the courts, and at the ballot box.\u201d\n\nLarson offered an amendment to block the President\u2019s costly \u201cDepartment of War\u201d name change at the Pentagon, which could cost taxpayers up to $125 million, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Republicans on the House Rules Committee blocked Larson\u2019s amendment\u2014as well as other amendments to bar National Guard deployments in American cities for immigration enforcement, and end Trump\u2019s illegal war.\n\nEarlier this week, Larson announced that he is preparing legal action against the Trump Administration, as well as legislation, to cut off funding for the unauthorized war with Iran. He has also filed articles of impeachment against President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for their illegal military orders in direct violation of the War Powers Act and United States Constitution.", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-opposes-defense-bill-fails-end-illegal-war-iran-and-advances"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.50623032823205, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}