Rep. Ryan Mackenzie avoids constituent’s question on Iran military spending, then votes for more spending

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) declined to answer a constituent’s question regarding federal spending on foreign military conflicts during a telephone town hall last week, hours before voting against a House war powers resolution.

During the call, an elderly constituent questioned the Lehigh Valley Republican on federal budget priorities. She questioned if Mackenzie supports Congress giving the Trump administration billions for the Iran War while the body fails to address the upcoming budget shortfall for the Social Security trust fund.

“Honestly, I’d like to know your stance on this, especially when I’m a senior citizen, and I’m being told that our reserve funds, used to pay full retirement benefits for Social Security, will be depleted by 2032,” the constituent said. “So, we have many, many senior citizens that are doing without many things, and can barely stay in their homes. So, how can we justify spending $87 billion on a war that, frankly, I don’t think has really accomplished much of anything?”

Mackenzie did not directly address his stance on the war, instead saying that “we want to see a peaceful resolution in all of these conflicts as soon as possible.”

In a statement to Heartland Signal, Mackenzie spokesperson Arnaud Armstrong defended Mackenzie’s response.

“Congressman Mackenzie has been clear both before and during the present months-long conflict with Iran that he opposes allowing this to become another forever war, supports a negotiated settlement, and will not support the use of ground troops,” Armstrong said. “As the Congressman made clear in his answer during the town hall, he is unflinching in his support for protecting critical programs like Medicare and Social Security.”

Less than a day after the town hall, Mackenzie joined 206 GOP House colleagues in voting against House Concurrent Resolution 89, a measure that would require the president to withdraw military forces unless he has congressional authorization. The vote marked the fifth time Mackenzie has voted against measures to limit funding or military engagement in the region.

The vote also contrasts with Mackenzie’s past statements. While campaigning in 2024, Mackenzie specifically expressed concerns over the U.S. bombing Iran and engaging in “forever wars.” Archived snapshots of Mackenzie’s website from May show that references to military policy and the word “war” were removed from his policy priorities page earlier this year.

“Everyone understands that campaigns update their websites between elections, in this case primarily to reflect some of Congressman Mackenzie’s recent work, including on issues like reducing the cost of living, supporting veterans and first responders, and reforming Washington,” Armstrong continued.

Mackenzie represents Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, a key swing district in Lehigh Valley. He will defend his seat against retired fireman and union leader Bob Brooks in November. Brooks won a competitive Democratic primary election in May with 41% of the vote. Brooks criticized Mackenzie’s inconsistent record in an emailed statement to Heartland Signal, saying, “his votes are the reason why we are paying more for everything from gas to groceries.”

“Ryan Mackenzie lied to the people of the Lehigh Valley. He campaigned on a promise to oppose reckless spending on foreign wars, but has now voted 5 times to continue the cost-spiking war in Iran,” Brooks said. “Now he is dodging his own constituents and scrubbing his own website because he knows his voting record is indefensible.”

Gas prices in the United States have sharply increased since Trump launched military action in Iran. The average gas price in Pennsylvania sits at $4.22 as of July 31, 2026, up from $3.23 a year ago.

A House Majority PAC poll released on July 9 suggested a four-point lead for Brooks. Cook Political Report rates the general election race a tossup.