Senate teeing up bipartisan vote to repeal Iraq war powers

The Senate is set to vote Wednesday to revoke the president’s war powers in Iraq, with members of both parties signing up, but GOP leader Mitch McConnell opposes it.

The bill would repeal authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, dating back to 1991 during the Gulf War under President George HW Bush and the 2002 AUMF for the invasion of Iraq under George W. Bush.

However, the bill would preserve the 2001 AUMF used after the 9/11 attacks and which presidents have used since then to launch military operations to fight the war on terror.

McConnell, R-Ky., cited a recent Iranian drone strike that killed a US contractor in Syria and injured six other Americans for his resistance. The US then launched retaliatory strikes against Iranian-affiliated groups and Iran launched another missile strike, injuring another contractor.

“Tehran wants to drive us out of Iraq and Syria. Why should Congress make that easier?’

“Our enemies in Iran, who have spent two decades targeting and killing Americans in the Middle East, would be delighted if America called back our military presence, authorities and activities in Iraq,” he continued.

The White House has said it will sign the legislation if it reaches President Biden’s desk. Speaker Kevin McCarthy has previously indicated that the repeal would likely receive a floor vote, but has not said whether he supports it.

A final vote is expected today after the Senate introduced the bill Monday by a 65 to 28 vote that drew 18 Republicans.

And while McConnell says revoking these AUMFs would lead to weakness in the Middle East, other Republicans say these authorizations give too much power to the executive branch in matters of war.

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The Senate votes on a bill that would revoke authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, dating back to 1991 during the Gulf War under President George HW Bush and the 2002 AUMF for the invasion of Iraq under George W. Struik

“I think a lot of lessons have been learned over the last 20 years,” said Indiana Senator Todd Young, the main Republican sponsor of the repeal. He said those who support the legislation “want to make sure the American people can hold us accountable, rather than delegate those important authorities to an executive and then complain about the executive’s ignorant wisdom when it not going well’.

Young added that the 2002 AUMF has been on the books for more than two decades and “has in no way deterred attacks.”

President Trump used the 2002 AUMF to kill Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in 2020. And the US currently has about 2,500 troops in Iraq.

The 2002 AUMF authorized Bush to invade Iraq on the assumption that it was working on nuclear weapons that were never found.

US soldiers pictured in Iraq in 2020 – about 2,500 remain in the country

An amendment that would also have repealed the 2001 AUMF failed by a vote of 9 to 86.

In 2021, the then Democrat-controlled House voted to repeal the 2002 AUMF with support from 49 Republicans. The Senate never passed the bill.

McConnell also said in his lengthy statement against the measure that the implications of repeal could extend to China.

“These threats are not just a regional issue. A government that cannot even stop Iran from openly attacking US military personnel will not be able to deter the People’s Republic of China.”

Biden and his Defense Department have argued that repealing the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs would not affect its efforts to counter Iran. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the 2001 authorization, which cannot be revoked, allows the US to deploy troops in the region against the Islamic State group.