SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) speaks during a "No War With Iran" rally at the U.S. Capitol on January 9, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for MoveOn.org)
'Historic Step': House Votes to Repeal 2002 Iraq AUMF Trump Used to Justify Soleimani Assassination
"Trump's claim that the 2002 AUMF can authorize his attacks against Iran has no basis in reality, underscoring the need for immediate action."
Jan 29, 2020
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force, which the Trump administration cited as a legal justification for its assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month.
The legislation, sponsored by longtime "war on terror" opponent Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), passed by a vote of 236-166, with 11 Republicans supporting the measure and two Democrats--Reps. Conor Lamb (Penn.) and Jim Cooper (Tenn.)--opposing it.
"For far too long, Congress has been missing in action on matters of war and peace--but today, we took a historic step to reassert our Constitutional authority and stop our endless wars by voting to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF," Lee said in a statement.
"Make no mistake, the president must seek specific authorization from Congress for any use of force against Iran or any country," Lee added. "Trump's claim that the 2002 AUMF can authorize his attacks against Iran has no basis in reality, underscoring the need for immediate action."
\u201cThe 2002 AUMF isn't needed for any current counterterrorism operations. PERIOD.\n\nThis outdated and unnecessary AUMF has been on the books for far too long. It's past time for Congress to reclaim our constitutional authority on war and peace and #StopEndlessWar!\u201d— Rep. Barbara Lee (@Rep. Barbara Lee) 1580403544
The House on Thursday also passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to block any federal funding for military action taken against Iran without congressional approval.
The White House warned on Tuesday that Trump is planning to veto both Democratic measures aimed at curtailing his ability to unilaterally wage war.
Reps. Lee, Khanna, Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) issued a joint statement applauding the passage of the two bills as a recognition that "there is no military solution to our conflicts in the Middle East--only deescalation and diplomacy can lead to peace."
"President Trump's reckless decision to assassinate General Soleimani--conducted without the knowledge or approval of Congress--made it clear that we cannot afford to wait to reassert our Constitutional responsibility over war-making," the Democratic lawmakers said. "These bills are essential to preventing a catastrophic and completely avoidable war with Iran."
Progressive advocacy group Win Without War tweeted that the two bills, which now head to the Republican-controlled Senate, are a "a massive step forward in Congress taking back the reins in matters of war and peace, both with Trump and with future administrations too."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force, which the Trump administration cited as a legal justification for its assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month.
The legislation, sponsored by longtime "war on terror" opponent Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), passed by a vote of 236-166, with 11 Republicans supporting the measure and two Democrats--Reps. Conor Lamb (Penn.) and Jim Cooper (Tenn.)--opposing it.
"For far too long, Congress has been missing in action on matters of war and peace--but today, we took a historic step to reassert our Constitutional authority and stop our endless wars by voting to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF," Lee said in a statement.
"Make no mistake, the president must seek specific authorization from Congress for any use of force against Iran or any country," Lee added. "Trump's claim that the 2002 AUMF can authorize his attacks against Iran has no basis in reality, underscoring the need for immediate action."
\u201cThe 2002 AUMF isn't needed for any current counterterrorism operations. PERIOD.\n\nThis outdated and unnecessary AUMF has been on the books for far too long. It's past time for Congress to reclaim our constitutional authority on war and peace and #StopEndlessWar!\u201d— Rep. Barbara Lee (@Rep. Barbara Lee) 1580403544
The House on Thursday also passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to block any federal funding for military action taken against Iran without congressional approval.
The White House warned on Tuesday that Trump is planning to veto both Democratic measures aimed at curtailing his ability to unilaterally wage war.
Reps. Lee, Khanna, Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) issued a joint statement applauding the passage of the two bills as a recognition that "there is no military solution to our conflicts in the Middle East--only deescalation and diplomacy can lead to peace."
"President Trump's reckless decision to assassinate General Soleimani--conducted without the knowledge or approval of Congress--made it clear that we cannot afford to wait to reassert our Constitutional responsibility over war-making," the Democratic lawmakers said. "These bills are essential to preventing a catastrophic and completely avoidable war with Iran."
Progressive advocacy group Win Without War tweeted that the two bills, which now head to the Republican-controlled Senate, are a "a massive step forward in Congress taking back the reins in matters of war and peace, both with Trump and with future administrations too."
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force, which the Trump administration cited as a legal justification for its assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month.
The legislation, sponsored by longtime "war on terror" opponent Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), passed by a vote of 236-166, with 11 Republicans supporting the measure and two Democrats--Reps. Conor Lamb (Penn.) and Jim Cooper (Tenn.)--opposing it.
"For far too long, Congress has been missing in action on matters of war and peace--but today, we took a historic step to reassert our Constitutional authority and stop our endless wars by voting to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF," Lee said in a statement.
"Make no mistake, the president must seek specific authorization from Congress for any use of force against Iran or any country," Lee added. "Trump's claim that the 2002 AUMF can authorize his attacks against Iran has no basis in reality, underscoring the need for immediate action."
\u201cThe 2002 AUMF isn't needed for any current counterterrorism operations. PERIOD.\n\nThis outdated and unnecessary AUMF has been on the books for far too long. It's past time for Congress to reclaim our constitutional authority on war and peace and #StopEndlessWar!\u201d— Rep. Barbara Lee (@Rep. Barbara Lee) 1580403544
The House on Thursday also passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to block any federal funding for military action taken against Iran without congressional approval.
The White House warned on Tuesday that Trump is planning to veto both Democratic measures aimed at curtailing his ability to unilaterally wage war.
Reps. Lee, Khanna, Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) issued a joint statement applauding the passage of the two bills as a recognition that "there is no military solution to our conflicts in the Middle East--only deescalation and diplomacy can lead to peace."
"President Trump's reckless decision to assassinate General Soleimani--conducted without the knowledge or approval of Congress--made it clear that we cannot afford to wait to reassert our Constitutional responsibility over war-making," the Democratic lawmakers said. "These bills are essential to preventing a catastrophic and completely avoidable war with Iran."
Progressive advocacy group Win Without War tweeted that the two bills, which now head to the Republican-controlled Senate, are a "a massive step forward in Congress taking back the reins in matters of war and peace, both with Trump and with future administrations too."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.