AUMF

Yesterday, for the first time, a congressional committee advanced a bill to repeal one of the war authorizations that successive presidents have relied on to keep the United States at war for the last two decades.

For nearly two decades, the United States has relied on two congressional war authorizations to serve as the legal basis for military operations against suspected terrorist groups abroad. The Constitution provides the president with inherent powers to use military force without congressional authorization for defensive purposes. While this power is necessarily limited, it is significant and ensures that, even absent an AUMF, the president retains the ability to use military force in order to defend the national security of the United States.

A year ago today, the Trump administration assassinated Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and nine other people, committing an act tantamount to war without congressional approval.

Another year, another anniversary of the blank check for endless war.

On July 14, the House Appropriations Committee took three important steps towards ending our endless wars and preventing a new war with Iran.

Washington, DC – The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) applauded yesterday’s votes in the House Appropriations Committee to adopt three amendments from Representative Barbara Lee (CA-13) to reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over war powers.

To end endless war, we need to know where the United States is engaged militarily and who we are fighting. One of the ways we work for peace is by pushing for increased government transparency and accountability for U.S. wars.

After nearly 20 years of war, the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement on Feb. 29, 2020 aimed at bringing an end to the conflict in Afghanistan.

On Jan. 30, the House passed a repeal of the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (2002 Iraq AUMF) as part of two measures intended to prevent the administration from going to war with Iran. Repealing this disastrous war authorization is a major victory, but it’s crucial that we maintain this momentum to end endless war.

The House will vote this Thursday on repeal of the 2002 Iraq War Authorization. On Jan. 27, FCNL joined a diverse group of organizations from across the ideological spectrum in sending a letter to Congress in support of repeal. Specifically, the groups urged representatives to vote for an amendment to H.R. 550, the Gold Medal Act of 2019. This amendment is nearly identical to Rep. Barbara Lee’s (CA-13) NDAA provision repealing the 2002 Iraq War Authorization, which the House passed last summer, as well as her standalone repeal bill, H.R. 2456.