If the US Senate and Congress finally have their way, the wars the Bush presidents started may finally be coming to an official end.
In 1991 a AUMF was used to allow the elder Bush to invade Iraq.
2001 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, were passed in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, giving U.S. presidents broad powers to conduct military operations without Congress' constitutional right to approval. Prior to this only Congress could ‘declare’ war.
The authorization was also used by Barack Obama to conduct airstrikes against ISIS in 2014 and Donald Trump used that same AUMF in 2020 to authorize the airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassim Suleimani in Iraq.
This is not the first time Congress has tried to reassert its powers over matters relating to war. Congress has neglected its constitutional responsibilities for several decades. The last time Congress formally used its powers to declare war was in 1942 against Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Since that time, it has granted U.S. presidents broader authority to conduct military operations.
If the repeal passes the Democratic controlled Senate, which seems likely, it will move to the Republican controlled House. The chances of a repeal in the U.S. House of Representatives is much narrower. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has said he will allow an open amendment process, meaning any Senate-passed repeal would likely be added on to the annual National Defense Authorization for consideration later this year.
About the writer: Matthew Woodruff is an Independent Journalist and Author who believes in Freely Accessible, Honest and Open Reporting. Visit at MattWoodruffAuthor.com.
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