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Crow Votes to Repeal 2002 AUMF

June 17, 2021

Legislation Would End 2002 Authorization of Military Force Against Iraq

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06) voted to pass H.R. 256, Repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. This bipartisan legislation would terminate the nearly two-decade-old congressional authorization for using military force in Iraq, first enacted in 2002.

"The Founding Fathers gave Congress the solemn responsibility of sending our sons and daughters to war, and there is no task I take more seriously," said Rep. Jason Crow. "I was proud to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I will not allow the next generation to be pulled into another endless war. The repeal of the 2002 AUMF is a long overdue step towards Congress reasserting its constitutional role in matters of war and diplomacy."

Congress passed the 2002 AUMF in October 2002 to address the perceived threat posed by the regime of Saddam Hussein. It permitted the President to use the armed forces as "necessary and appropriate" to "defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by Iraq" and "to enforce all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq."

Although the formal end of U.S. military operations occurred nearly a decade ago, in December 2011, the 2002 AUMF has remained as a U.S. statute.

The repeal of the 2002 AUMF would have no effect on any ongoing military operations in Iraq.

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