The Senate voted to repeal Iraq War power authorizations

Repain of the Iraq Authorization for the Use of Military Force: Why We Are Here, What We Can Do About It, and How to Address It

The repeal of authorizations for the use of military force against Iraq was a significant moment as lawmakers sought to regain authority over military intervention abroad.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been a strong supporter of the repeal, saying “there’s no justification anymore” for allowing these authorizations to stay on the books.

The White House said it supports the measure to repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of force in Iraq. If it passes both chambers, it would mark a formal conclusion to the conflicts and a symbolic reassertion of Congress’ ability to declare war.

“A lot has changed in the last 20 years, and yet according to our laws today, we are still at war with Iraq,” Young said on the floor Wednesday. Allowing it to continue is a strategic mistake because it is an intentional abdication of this body of its constitutional role in Americans’ national security.

Wednesday’s historic vote took place amid a string of absences on both sides of the aisle in the Senate, most notably with McConnell still out, now working from home, as he continues to recover from a fall that resulted in a concussion at a DC hotel earlier this month.

Several lawmakers in Congress have tried several times to repeal the Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force, which was passed just three days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“President Biden remains committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework more appropriate to protecting Americans from modern terrorist threats,” the White House statement said. Toward that end the Administration will ensure that Congress is aware of the effects of any such action and the threats they pose to the United States.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who co-authored the repeal with GOP Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, has argued that Congress should first repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF, and then look to rewrite the 2001 authorization, which authorized US operations against terrorism around the world.

Schumer said the effort has been years in the making. “The American people are tired of endless wars in the Middle East.”

There is a lot of debate in the Senate on how to address the 2001 war authorization that has been given to four presidents to conduct counter-terrorism operations around the world.

“I think it’s going to get through the committee,” Secretary of the House Intelligence & Politics Committee, Jan. 17, 2001

“I think it has a good chance of one getting through the committee and getting to the floor,” McCarthy told reporters during a recent GOP retreat in Florida.