Opinion

REP TOM BARRETT: It’s up to Congress to prevent another endless American war

A 22-year Army veteran in Congress warns legislators need to make sure we set clear objectives to use the military

By Tom Barrett Fox News

Published July 1, 2026 7:00am EDT

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White House warns Iran against escalating violence

Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports as the White House confirms U.S. and Iranian forces have agreed to a temporary stand-down ahead of talks in Qatar. Retired Navy fighter pilot Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley discusses CENTCOM's strikes.

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War is something we are all contemplating as tensions with Iran continue. It certainly keeps me up at night. After spending 22 years in the Army and deploying around the world, it still consumes a lot of my attention.

Europe and America fought the "War to End All Wars" more than 100 years ago in the trenches of World War I. Of course, it didn’t really end wars, and it directly fed into World War II, which left millions dead and reset the global national hierarchy. In the book "1984," George Orwell wrote that "by becoming continuous war has ceased to exist." When we normalize war, it becomes a constant in our lives, like a chronic disease we try to manage but never fully cure.

That’s why........

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