(AURN News) — Religious leaders and activists gathered at the White House on Monday to protest what they called an unauthorized war in the Middle East, warning it threatens democratic norms.
“To not speak out against this is to say, I’m OK with the full undermining of this democracy and its checks and balances,” Bishop William Barber said.
Religious leaders, veterans and faith activists gathered at the White House on Monday as part of a broader “Moral Monday” demonstration during Holy Week.
Bishop William Barber and clergy from 14 states and Canada led the demonstration, timed to Holy Week, to directly challenges the war and military spending priorities.
“This war is costing $1.3 million a minute — not an hour, not a day, but a minute,” Barber said.
Organizers say that annual cost could instead fund millions of nurses, provide food assistance to 160 million people or expand Medicaid.
The Military and Legislative Backdrop
The “unauthorized war” cited by Bishop Barber refers to Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale military offensive against Iran that officially commenced on February 28, 2026. Directed by the Trump administration and overseen by Secretary Pete Hegseth, the operation’s stated mission is to dismantle Iran’s missile production and naval infrastructure.
The Fiscal Debate: The $1.3 Million Per Minute “Burn Rate”
The fiscal figure of $1.3 million per minute — roughly $1.87 billion per day — originated from an analysis by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.
This “burn rate” reflects the immense logistical costs of maintaining carrier strike groups like the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln in the region, alongside the high cost of precision munitions; for example, the widespread use of Tomahawk missiles, which cost approximately $1.7 million each, contributed to an initial expenditure of over $3.7 billion in the war’s first 100 hours alone.
Activists like Barber argue that this spending constitutes a “moral malady,” highlighting that the funds consumed in a single day of the conflict could instead cover humanitarian missions.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
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