The Senate passed a bipartisan bill that would end the military authorizations allowing for U.S. involvement in the Gulf and Iraq wars, setting the stage for the official end to the conflicts that concluded years ago.
Lawmakers voted to advance the measure 66 to 30. The bill now heads to the House, where it is expected to pass if Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) decides to bring it up for a vote.
SENATE OVERCOMES FIRST HURDLE TO REPEAL IRAQ AND GULF WAR AUTHORIZATIONS
Senators voted to advance the measure last week, opening the door for Republicans to negotiate a series of amendments to the bill, which would repeal the authorizations for the use of military force passed in 1991 and 2002 that paved the way for the United States to get involved in the Middle Eastern wars. Lawmakers submitted more than 50 amendments to be considered.
Lawmakers rejected several amendments despite having bipartisan support, such as one proposal introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) that sought to sunset military authorizations every two years. The Senate shot down a slew of other amendments, including one provision that sought to repeal the 2001 war authorization that was initiated in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The vote comes soon after the 20-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which some lawmakers have pointed to as evidence that the AUMFs are outdated.
Members of Congress have previously pushed to end the military declarations in an attempt to prevent “potential misuse” by future presidents.
House lawmakers passed a bill repealing the pair of AUMFs in the last Congress, but those efforts stalled in the deadlocked Senate. However, senators on both sides of the aisle say they’re confident the measure now has enough votes to get to President Joe Biden's desk.
Whether it passes the House will largely hinge on whether McCarthy brings the measure up for a vote. The Republican leader didn’t support the legislation in the last Congress, but he said on Tuesday that it has a “good chance of getting through committee and getting to the floor."
An ideologically diverse group of House lawmakers, ranging from members of the conservative Freedom Caucus to progressives such as Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), have co-sponsored the legislation.
“The framers gave Congress the grave duty to deliberate the questions of war and peace, and we have ignored that job for much too long. This repeal will not harm essential operations in the Middle East, but it's necessary to ensure these now-obsolete authorities are not abused in the future,” Rep. Chip Roy, a Freedom Caucus member, (R-TX) told the Washington Examiner. “The American people deserve a focused military with a clearly defined mission, and they deserve a legislative branch that actually does its job.”
Biden, for his part, has expressed support for the bill, releasing an endorsement late last week.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“President Biden remains committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework more appropriate to protecting Americans from modern terrorist threats,” the White House said in a statement. “Toward that end, the Administration will ensure that Congress has a clear and thorough understanding of the effect of any such action and of the threats facing U.S. forces, personnel, and interests around the world.”
Repealing the authorizations would not disrupt current operations in the Middle East, nor would it prevent the U.S. from initiating a military response to future threats. The legislation also does not deal with the 2001 AUMF initiated in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.