We are closer than ever to repealing the 2002 and 1991 Authorizations of Use of Military Force (AUMFs) against Iraq! On October 10, the Senate voted to repeal both these AUMFs in a bipartisan amendment to the annual defense policy bill, the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Congress passed the 2002 Iraq AUMF to authorize war against Saddam Hussein’s government. That government was toppled in 2003 and the U.S. mission in Iraq officially came to an end in 2011. The 1991 AUMF authorized U.S. military involvement in the Gulf War following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
Repealing these AUMFs would have no effect on existing military operations. Keeping them on the books, however, risks continued abuse to justify new, unauthorized military actions—by any president, regardless of their party affiliation. This risk continues to grow, with an acceleration of executive overreach, including the deployment of National Guard troops in U.S. cities and unauthorized, illegal U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean Sea.
The Senate NDAA amendment takes Congress closer than ever to repealing these outdated war authorizations. For the first time, identical repeal provisions are included in both the House and Senate NDAAs, making it increasingly likely that the repeals will be included in the final bill negotiated between the two chambers.
This has come after years of persistent advocacy from FCNL advocates and our partners, including FCNL’s Advocacy Teams, who focused on these AUMF repeals in 2019 and 2021. Read more about their dedicated work here!
As members of Congress work to form the final FY2026 NDAA, we urge them to follow through on peace-fostering guardrails like these AUMF repeals. Thank you to all who have poured their time and energy thus far into steadfast advocacy to end endless wars!
