Bennet, Hickenlooper, Duckworth, Colleagues Push to Stop Trump from Hiding the True Cost of the Iran War and Dishonoring the Sacrifices of Our Heroes

Aug 13, 2026 | Press Releases

Denver - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) joined combat veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and 15 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce legislation that would stop the Trump administration from obscuring the true cost of President Trump's disastrous war from the American people.

The Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from manipulating casualty records and jeopardizing the benefits of our servicemembers and public servants. The bill introduction comes after the Pentagon unprecedentedly recategorized recent casualties suffered in President Trump's war in Iran, including four killed and over 200 wounded servicemembers, under a separate category outside Operation Epic Fury in an attempt to downplay the damage done and evade accountability to the American people.

"The Trump Administration's decision to reclassify the deaths of four service members and the injuries of more than 200 is not only dishonest; it is an affront to the service and sacrifice these men and women, and their families, have made," said Bennet. "Our legislation will stop this administration from obscuring the continuing cost of President Trump's ongoing war with Iran and, more importantly, will provide confirmation that those who have answered the call to duty and their families will receive the rightful recognition and benefits they are owed."

"Brave Americans who sacrifice everything for this country shouldn't have their service rewritten by an administration more interested in political convenience than accountability," said Hickenlooper. "Altering casualty numbers doesn't just hide the true cost of this war. It diminishes the sacrifice of every service member who was wounded or killed. They and their loved ones deserve better."

"I refuse to let Donald Trump dishonor the service of our heroes just because it benefits him politically to lie about the length of this illegal campaign and hide the true cost of his war from the American people," said Duckworth. "Trump knows his war of choice is unpopular, which is why he's manipulating casualty records to try and fool the public into believing it's been less of a disaster. It's an insult to our fallen heroes, and it could jeopardize the benefits of troops and civilians he continues to put in harm's way. Our brave men and women in uniform deserve accountability, not a Commander in Chief who plays games with their sacrifices."

VoteVets and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) endorse this legislation.

Bennet has worked tirelessly to ensure service members and their families have access to the benefits they are due and to end President Trump's reckless war against Iran. Bennet has repeatedly voted in favor of War Powers Resolutions to remove U.S. troops from active conflict operations in the Middle East absent explicit Congressional authorization. In March 2026, Bennet co-sponsored the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Promotion Act, a bipartisan bill that would provide support to veterans in the TAP applying for benefits they earned in service. In March 2025, Bennet joined over 40 colleagues to introduce legislation to provide combat-injured veteran retirees their full benefits.

In addition to Bennet, Hickenlooper, and Duckworth, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) cosponsored the bill.

The text of the bill is available HERE.

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