DES MOINES, Iowa — On Tuesday, the U.S. House voted for the sixth time on a resolution to bring American armed forces home from Iran, and for the first time, two members of Iowa’s congressional delegation voted in favor of the resolution.

Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) were part of the seven Republicans who voted to end the war. Representatives Ashley Hinson (IA-02) and Randy Feenstra (IA-04) voted against the resolution with the remaining GOP legislators.

Nunn told WHO 13 News that part of his decision had to do with a bipartisan report published on Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office over the cost of the war.

The CBO found that through August 1st, $38 billion was spent on war efforts. That number is now rising. It also says the conflict has left the U.S. with a reduced inventory of interceptors for several years to come.

The report states, “The shortfall would become especially problematic if a conflict arose with an opponent whose arsenal included large numbers of ballistic and cruise missiles. (The People’s Republic of China, PRC, maintains such an arsenal, which would probably play a major role in a military conflict involving Taiwan).”

Additionally, the CBO estimates that the war mainly affects the economy through its impact on prices. Due to the conflict, the report finds the prices of gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel have quickly risen while the price of durable goods— like furniture, vehicles, electronics, etc.— are expected to grow gradually.

Nunn said, “I’m a combat veteran. I’ve been in these wars that have gone on not just years but decades, and I don’t want to see that being the future of America. Tactical operations to prevent terrorism, a country from getting a nuclear weapon, a despot regime that’s trying to take over or torture and kill its people— these are the types of things I think U.S. military action makes sense for.”

“But long term operations— ones that are depleting our national treasury, ones that have depleted our ability for us to be able to defend ourself and U.S. Central Command— demand that Congress and the President start working together on a game plan to keep folks safe, bring down the cost, re-supply our depleted stocks, and most importantly hold Iran accountable.”

CBO Director Phil Swagel wrote that the report “does not assign financial costs to U.S. military personnel killed or injured in the conflict, nor does it include longer-term costs associated with future increases in outlays for veterans’ health care and disability compensation. It also does not include costs that could emerge in the future if ships, aircraft, and other equipment need repairs or additional maintenance as a result of their use in the conflict.”

Iowa specifically has personal connections to the war’s casualties. Six members of the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines were killed by Iranians in Kuwait back in March— including Sergeant Declan Coady of West Des Moines and Major Jeffrey O’Brien of Waukee.

Additionally, two Iowa National Guard soldiers— Staff Sergeant Edgar Torres-Tovar of Des Moines and Staff Sergeant Nate Howard of Marshalltown— were killed before the war in December after being ambushed by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria.

Nunn said, “Iowa has suffered an inestimable loss by the number of men and women who have served here in Iowa who have lost their life. Two at the very font end— Sergeant Howard, Sergeant Torres Tovar— who were killed by the Iranians before this strike even took place with extremist elements and then even more from the 103rd combat sustainment element that were killed when this event took place on the president holding Iran accountable for 47 years of attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S. interests.”

The representative of Iowa’s third congressional district also said he decided to vote in favor of pulling out armed forces because the negotiation window between the U.S. and Iran is now closed.

“This is the first time there is a legitimate War Powers Act to make sure Congress is taking its responsibility seriously. In every other event up to this, we’ve been negotiating with the Iranians,” said Nunn. “…In this specific War Powers Act, we go after what I think we need most importantly— we need Congress to be involved, we need a game plan for the road ahead, and we need the U.S., including the president, to be able to protect U.S. forces and strike back when there’s an imminent threat emitting from Iran.”

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Representative Miller-Meeks was not available for an interview regarding her vote, but she shared the following statement with WHO 13 News:

I served 24 years in the Army. I said it in March: the mission had to stay focused and limited, because Americans do not want another forever war. I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump.

The Iranian regime and its nuclear ambitions have been defanged. The President needs to present a plan to Congress and the American people for how this ends so we can focus on bringing our soldiers home and lowering prices.

On Wednesday, the Iowa GOP announced that Vice President JD Vance will return to Iowa this week for a midterm election rally in Council Bluffs. This will be his first visit to the Hawkeye State since May, when he rallied for Nunn’s reelection at a campaign event held in Des Moines.

RNC regional spokesperson Zach Kraft told WHO 13 News that Iowans can expect to hear the vice president make the case for reelecting Republicans in the November election.

Kraft said, “Vice President Vance just came off electrifying the crowd in Dallas when he gave his primetime address laying out his vision for the country and really just explaining to the American people why this midterm is the most consequential midterm of our lifetime. And now he’s making his first trip off of that historic speech, coming straight to Iowa, showing just how important the Hawkeye State is going to be this November, not only for holding the Senate, but also for holding the House.”

The Iran War could be a topic discussed at the rally as diesel prices reached an all-time high this week, and farmers mainly use diesel to power their agricultural equipment.

Ahead of the vice president’s last address in Iowa, Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said he expects the midterm election in the state to come down to turnout. Republicans and Independents in Iowa have a voter registration advantage over Democrats.

“If Republicans show up to vote, Republicans will win,” Kaufmann told WHO 13 News in May.

Kraft said rallies like the one planned for Friday are critical in energizing the Republican base to show up at the polls in November.

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