In 2002, Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden were among the 29 Democratic senators who voted to authorize the use of military force in Iraq. Almost 20 years later, they support repealing the authorization. Schumer said Wednesday that he supports repealing the measure and the Senate will hold a vote on it this year, Politico reports. "The Iraq War has been over for nearly a decade," the Senate majority leader said. "The authorization passed in 2002 is no longer necessary in 2021." The House is expected to pass a bill to revoke the authorization Thursday, reports CNBC. President Biden has said he supports the House bill, which was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee.
The White House said in a statement that the US "has no ongoing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 AUMF as a domestic legal basis" and revoking the law would have "minimal impact" on operations. Schumer said Wednesday that revoking the authorization would not mean the US is turning its back on Iraq, but it would prevent future presidents "reaching back into the legal dustbin to use it as a justification for military adventurism," the AP reports. He cited the Trump administration's Jan. 2020 strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani in Baghdad as an example. Some lawmakers say it's also time to consider replacing the 2001 authorization of military force against terrorists with a more targeted resolution, CNN reports. Lee was the only House lawmaker to vote against the 2001 bill, which was passed three days after the 9/11 attacks. (More Iraq stories.)
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