Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today voted again with her House colleagues to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which has kept the nation embroiled in wars that have claimed tens of thousands of American lives across nearly two decades. The repeal bill passed the House twice in previous sessions of Congress, and has the support of President Biden.

“The framers of our Constitution understood the peril of war and entrusted Congress to deliberate before sending young Americans into battle. Today’s vote in the House is an important step toward reclaiming Congress’s war powers and ending conflicts that have claimed tens of thousands of American lives over nearly 20 years,” said Rep. Pingree. “No President should be able to declare unauthorized war today under the guise of security threats we faced at the turn of the century. I am hopeful this bill will receive President Biden’s signature as soon as possible. It is time.”

When Congress passed the 2002 AUMF to authorize war against Iraq 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.” With Pingree’s support, Congress voted to repeal the 2002 AUMF, but the effort was vetoed by President Trump. In 2019, the same measure passed the House with bipartisan support as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last summer, but they were removed from the final bill by Senate Republicans.

 

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