Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has a simple message for his party: if you want to fix affordability, stop the war in Iran. And he wants Democrats to use the one piece of leverage they have, the federal spending bill, to make it happen.

Khanna Links Iran War to Rising Costs

On Monday, in a post on X that included a clip of himself discussing the issue, Khanna described the election as a "cry for help" from Americans struggling with rising living costs.

"This November, Democrats must stop the war in Iran to bring down the cost of gas, food, and diesel," he wrote.

In the accompanying clip, Khanna argued that many Americans were struggling to afford gasoline and groceries for their families.

Khanna Pushes Iran Funding Cutoff

He called on Democrats to "zero out funding for any combat activity in Iran" by making it a condition for supporting the next continuing resolution, the temporary measure that keeps the federal government funded.

"That's how we stopped the Vietnam War. We can do it when we're back in November by insisting on no funding for Iran combat activities in the continuing resolution," Khanna said.

He added that Democrats must "deliver on affordability by ending this war."

Trump Promises Iran War Reimbursement

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said Israel and other U.S.-protected countries would reimburse Washington for Iran war expenses, claiming they would "pay us back any and all costs that we've had for the war."

He provided no repayment figures or evidence of formal agreements.

The conflict had cost the U.S. military more than $47 billion, according to Pentagon data Reuters obtained last month, including over $29 billion in expected munitions replacements and $6 billion for lost equipment.

That figure exceeded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's July estimate of $37.5 billion by more than 25%.

Iran War's Economic Toll on Americans

Last month, economist Mark Zandi estimated that the Iran war had added nearly $2,000 to household expenses since February, with energy costs accounting for nearly $1,100 per household.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blamed Trump for rising costs and military casualties, claiming Democrats had made 14 attempts to end the war.

In September, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) cited a CBO estimate that the war had cost $38.1 billion as of Aug. 1, calling it a conservative figure that excluded additional military and consumer costs.