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U.S. Sen. Mark Warner on Thursday warned that the Trump administration's military campaign in Iran is already driving up costs for Virginia families and putting servicemembers in harm's way — while a Republican-backed voting bill could lock millions of commonwealth residents out of the ballot box.
Speaking during a remote media availability from the U.S. Capitol, Warner said gas prices in Virginia have climbed roughly 90 cents a gallon since the U.S. began striking Iran about three weeks ago, pushing the average from approximately $2.81 to around $3.80 — with $4 likely on the way.
For Alexandria commuters already navigating high costs of living, the increase adds another strain. The city's residents rely heavily on cars and public transit, and the spike in fuel costs ripples into everything from grocery delivery to rideshare fares.
"We've met none of the four goals the president has laid out," Warner said, listing regime change, seizure of Iran's enriched uranium, elimination of its missile and drone capacity, and destruction of its navy as objectives that remain unmet.
Warner also raised concerns about the ongoing deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, home-ported in Norfolk. He said sailors aboard the carrier are now facing conditions including lost beds from a recent fire and equipment failures — and that the deployment could stretch to 11 months, one of the longest in modern naval history.
"I wonder how many of these sailors will choose not to reenlist after this," Warner said.
On domestic policy, Warner sharply criticized the so-called SAVE America Act, now on the Senate floor, calling it the most sweeping effort to disenfranchise voters in decades. The legislation would require voters to present a passport or birth certificate each time they register or update their registration.
Warner said roughly 40% of Virginians — about 3.3 million people — do not have a valid passport, and nearly 2 million women in the commonwealth may not have a birth certificate matching their current legal name. In a city like Alexandria, home to a large immigrant population, federal workers, and a high share of women who have taken a spouse's name, those restrictions could have an outsized impact.
"This bill is not going to pass," Warner said, noting it would need 60 votes to clear the Senate. "But instead of talking about lowering the cost of gasoline, groceries, or manufactured goods — all affected by Trump tariffs — we are wasting time on a bill that would disenfranchise literally millions of Virginians."
Warner also used the availability to discuss Wednesday's Worldwide Threats Hearing, where he pressed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Director Kash Patel on election security, counterterrorism staffing, and the justification for striking Iran. He said Gabbard omitted a key section of her prepared testimony indicating Iran was not moving toward a nuclear weapon — a passage that would have contradicted the administration's rationale for military action.
"Anyone that says this was not a war of choice hasn't seen or read the intelligence," Warner said.
