A bipartisan group of four members of the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Iraq war authorizations, along with a 1957 resolution authorizing military action in the Middle East.
“Congress has abdicated its Article 1 authority for too long. By taking these outdated authorizations off the books, we can start to reclaim our constitutional war powers,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said in a statement. “The 1957, 1991 and 2002 AUMFs are no longer relevant and their repeal would not impact ongoing operations. War powers are this institution’s most important constitutional responsibility, and it’s critical we take this small but significant step forward to reassert congressional authority.”
Gallagher, a Marines veteran, introduced the bill with Marines veteran Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), former CIA officer Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Army veteran Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI). The Hill notes that earlier this month, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) led a bipartisan group of senators in introducing a bill to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said last week his panel would take up a bill from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) to repeal the 2002 AUMF in “the coming weeks.”
