WASHINGTON – Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) successfully offered and passed an amendment today to the Defense Appropriations Act that would repeal the 2001 AUMF in eight months from the passage of the Act. The eight-month period will allow Congress time to draft new legislation to address ongoing wars.
Rep. Lee has offered this amendment several times over the years and has long championed the need to repeal the outdated and overly broad authorization and force a debate and a vote on current wars.
“The 2001 AUMF has been used as a blank check for endless war by three Administrations,” said Rep. Barbara Lee. “As the Trump Administration escalates tensions with Iran, it is more important than ever for Congress to reassert its constitutional authority. We must start by repealing the overly broad 2001 AUMF and do our job to debate and vote on any replacement,”
As the only Member of Congress to vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), Congresswoman Barbara has consistently urged Congress to repeal the AUMF. Since 2001, the AUMF has been used to justify military force in 30 countries over 18 years.
Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., Rep. Lee and members of Congress will hold a press conference on the House Triangle to call for the sunset of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) with Lee’s bipartisan bill, H.R. 1274. The members will also call for an end to the escalation of tensions to ignite a war with Iran.
COMMENTS