WASHINGTON — The House passed an amendment on Wednesday to officially repeal the military force permissions approved in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks — nearly 24 years after they were first enacted.
Lawmakers voted 261-167 on an amendment to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, initially passed to give then-President George W. Bush the power to deploy U.S. troops to Iraq in the months after the 9/11 terrorist attack. The authorization gave sweeping powers to the president to “defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq” and served as the legal basis for Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003.
But the authorization has remained in place decades after the attack and has been used to justify U.S. military operations in the Middle Eastern country — even those that lawmakers argue are unrelated and give the president outsized authority over war powers that are constitutionally intended for Congress.
Lawmakers have long considered undoing the war power authorization, especially after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in late 2003. Opponents have also said it weakens Congress’ ultimate authority by allowing presidents to organize military strikes without prior approval.
For example, former President Barack Obama used the authorization to justify airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in 2014. President Donald Trump used it in his first term to green-light the airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. While former President Joe Biden never formally used the authorization, his administration argued it was important to keep intact to respond to any future threats.
But lawmakers have pushed back on the wide-ranging capabilities, arguing it could lead to additional lengthy wars that the U.S. should not get involved in.
“Americans overwhelmingly agree that the United States should not act as a global police force,” Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., one of the co-sponsors of the amendment, told the Deseret News. “We’ve lost too much blood and treasure overseas while our citizens struggle at home. Repealing the AUMFs is a critical step toward ending our engagement in costly forever wars. Washington must listen to the will of the people and retreat from the failed foreign policies of the past.”
The amendment passed on Wednesday also repeals an even older authorization of military force that was approved in 1991 to approve U.S. forces to liberate Kuwait from Iraq after its invasion in 1990 — also known as Operation Desert Storm.
The repeals were tucked in a larger military spending bill approved by the House on Wednesday. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, authorizes the budget and policies for the Defense Department each year.
While it does not outline the actual budget for the department, it authorizes the use of federal funds for certain policies and expenditures. It typically passes each year with strong bipartisan support.
The NDAA now heads to the Senate for consideration, which could see changes if Republican leaders see fit. That means the military force repeals could be removed if there isn’t enough support, although it’s not yet clear if that will happen.