After Nearly 18 Years, the House Passes Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Bill to Repeal the 2002 AUMF

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed her amendment to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) as a House Amendment to Senate Amendment to H.R. 550:

“For far too long, Congress has been missing in action on matters of war and peace – but today, we took a historic step to reassert our Constitutional authority and stop our endless wars by voting to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF.

“Let me be clear: the 2002 AUMF no longer serves any operational purpose. U.S. military deployments and operations carried out under the 2002 AUMF – dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom – officially concluded in 2011.

“Leaving this outdated and unnecessary authorization on the books allows Presidents to utilize it for military action Congress never intended to authorize – something we have already seen from President Trump.

“Make no mistake, the President must seek specific authorization from Congress for any use of force against Iran or any country. Trump’s claim that the 2002 AUMF can authorize his attacks against Iran has no basis in reality, underscoring the need for immediate action.

“We cannot afford to leave outdated AUMFs on the books indefinitely. It is past time for Congress to finally do our Constitutional duty and vote on matters of war and peace. That extends beyond the 2002 AUMF – we must now work to repeal the overly broad 2001 AUMF.”

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