WASHINGTON: On Wednesday, the Senate handily repealed two decades-old authorizations for earlier battles in Iraq. As Congress seeks to reclaim its role in deciding whether to send troops into combat.
The Democratic-led Senate voted 66-30 to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs. A bipartisan majority much over the 51 votes needed to end the Gulf and Iraq wars.
The repeal of the two Iraq AUMFs must pass the Republican-led House of Representatives. It is where Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated support but said at a news conference last week that a House committee first consider the topic.
If it passes the Senate and House and reaches his desk, President Joe Biden will sign it.
Twenty years after the March 2003 US invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein, the vote marked a symbolic end to a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans, complicated Middle East strategy, and deeply split US politics.
Repeal supporters also noted that Iraq is now a US security partner.
After Saddam’s Iraq invaded Kuwait, the resolution would repeal the 1991 Gulf War AUMF.
“Zombie” authorizations, the Iraq AUMFs never expire but no longer serve their intended purpose.
Constitutional
It was also the latest attempt by US lawmakers to recapture congressional power over sending soldiers into combat.
Menendez added that it prevents future administrations from exploiting authorizations that have expired.
Congress—not the president—can declare war.
Military commanders decide how to attack American foes, but lawmakers are divided on whether to keep the AUMFs. Since 1971, no AUMF repeal has cleared Congress, while others have passed committees or one chamber.
Congress repealed the Vietnam War-authorizing Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in 1971.
At a Congressional hearing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Congress might repeal the Iraq AUMFs. The military could “do what we need to do” under a different AUMF established after the September 11, 2001, attacks authorising military action against radicals.
After falling, McConnell opposed the repeal.
