As Senator Fetterman casts deciding vote against resolution to curb Trump’s war powers, Philadelphia elected officials join Jewish and Muslim Philadelphians to stage public call out.
(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 5/15/2026) — At 10am on Friday, May 15th, dozens of Philadelphians from Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)-Philly and Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Philadelphia will gather in front of Senator Fetterman’s Philadelphia office at 200 Chestnut Street. Progressive elected officials representing Philadelphia, including Councilmember Nic O’Rourke, Councilmember Rue Landau, State Representative Rick Krajewski, State Senator Nikil Saval, State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, and State Representative Chris Rabb, will join them in their call to divest from war in Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine, and invest in communities across Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
On May 13, Sen Fetterman broke from all other Democrats by voting against the Iran War Powers Resolution for the seventh time, which would have curbed Trump’s power to launch a war without Congress’ approval. Three Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor, while Fetterman’s “no” was a decisive factor in the 49-50 defeat.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke shared: “War touches all of our lives, particularly through how we budget and spend public dollars. My constituents ask me to fight for funding for the things that matter to them — public education, housing, transit. It is beyond infuriating having to stress our local limits year-to-year, while the federal government has spent $25 billion on war in Iran and Lebanon in just a few months.”
Philadelphia Councilmember Rue Landau stated, “Pennsylvanians need investments in housing, healthcare, healthcare education, and public safety here at home, not more taxpayer dollars fueling violence abroad, and it’s long overdue for Senator Fetterman to put his focus on these priorities instead of Trump’s Iran debacle.”
State Representative Chris Rabb explained, “Senator Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against the War Powers Act, which would have curbed Trump’s power to launch a war without Congress’ approval. Now we’re in a war that the vast majority of Americans do not support, killing and displacing people abroad, while the cost of groceries and gas continues to rise. I’m calling on the Senator to put Pennsylvanians first!”
State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta says “John Fetterman was the deciding vote to continue this senseless war in Iran – a betrayal of the people of Pennsylvania. We ought to be building schools in America, not bombing them overseas. His blood lust is costing the working people of this country, and it’s shameful.”
State Representative Rick Krajewski says “Our lone Democratic Senator has once again joined the Republican party in supporting these disastrous forever wars in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza. The cost of housing, utilities and groceries for my constituents continues to go through the roof. As we fight for the future of this country, we must ask John Fetterman — which side are you on?”
JVP-Philly member and parent Alfie Hanssen says, “As a parent of Jewish children, I’m appalled, yet again, by Fetterman’s disregard of his constituents, who do not support this violence.” Recent polling shows that 56% of Pennsylvanians disapprove or strongly disapprove of the war in Iran. Hanssen continued, “Instead of spending an estimated $1-2 billion dollars a day to bomb Iran and Lebanon, our elected officials should invest in what makes us actually safe: education, healthcare, housing, good jobs, a healthy environment and keeping families together.”
JVP-Philly and CAIR-Philadelphia have been consistently calling for an end to the US funding of increasing violence in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon and more being waged by the US and Israel.
Ahmet Tekelioglu, Executive Director of CAIR-Philadelphia explained, “Senator Fetterman has chosen war over the needs of his constituents. Pennsylvanians don’t want their tax dollars to fund these illegal and immoral wars. The Iranian people, the Palestinian people, and all people of the region and the world should be in control of their own futures, and not at the whims of U.S. and Israeli warmongering.”
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world. JVP organizes a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews into solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle, guided by a vision of justice, equality and dignity for all people.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations–Philadelphia (CAIR-Philadelphia) is a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR-Philadelphia works to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: Ahmet Tekelioglu, CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director, 617-401-5397, atekelioglu@cair.com.
