On the recordMarch 18, 2026
the war in Iran is crushing the economy here at home. Working-class and middle-class Americans are struggling. Today, I read that the price of gas has gone up 27 percent in just 2 weeks. Every day, we are spending $2 billion of American money in Iran. To put that in perspective, for 20 days in Iran, we could have free public college for every American. We could have a thousand new trade schools. We could have childcare at $10 a day for working-class Americans. Today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and I are introducing the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act for oil companies. They need to be paying a tax, and that money needs to go back in the pockets of ordinary Americans who are struggling at the pump. Instead of putting more money into Iran, we need a Marshall Plan for the United States of America. The Democrats stand for America's economy first, building jobs here, childcare here, and healthcare here. Let's focus on our people and our communities instead of draining more money to the war in the Middle East.
Source
govinfo.gov




