There is a profound misconception amongst our elected leaders that military might makes the people in our country and around the world safe, but while a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget and a massive stockpile of nuclear weapons may make the United States strong, it does not make us safe.

That’s why I vow to always stand for peace by fighting to restore Donald Trump’s cuts of USAID, demanding we re-enter international treaties to reduce the global stockpile of nuclear weapons, and introducing legislation to strip Donald Trump (or any US President) from sole authority to launch a nuclear strike.

I have spent my career studying the consequences of U.S. military action. I teach about international conflict and diplomacy. I have lived in communities still scarred by the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing. I do not romanticize war or underestimate how quickly “major combat operations” can become a global catastrophe.

Earlier today, President Trump ordered another strike on Iran in conjunction with Israel. Trump has characterized the attacks as “major combat operations” and referred to the possibility of American “casualties that often happens in war.” This situation could escalate quickly into a vast conflict with deadly consequences for our soldiers and civilians throughout the region. Congress must act immediately to constrain Trump and hold him accountable for these dangerous and unconstitutional strikes.