Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle in voting to repeal the Iraq Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) of 1991 and 2002. The decades-old authorizations have left open the ability for a president to engage in military action in Iraq without seeking new permission from Congress.
Whitehouse released the following statement after the vote:
“Our country was mired in a misguided war in Iraq when I ran for Senate in 2006, and my first priority after being elected was to get our troops home. We helped seal that chapter shut with strong bipartisan support today. These long-lingering authorizations left open the possibility that a rogue president could drag the country into conflict without Congress’ permission, which is not what the Founders intended and not what the American people want. Today’s vote honors the thousands of Rhode Island servicemembers who fought bravely in Iraq by helping ensure American troops are never sent into unjust conflicts.”
The legislation to repeal the authorizations passed by a vote of 66-30.
