[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 49 (Thursday, March 16, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S809-S810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                Authorization for Use of Military Force

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now, almost 20 years to the day that 
U.S. military operations began in Iraq, the U.S. Senate begins the 
process of repealing the Iraq AUMFs--the ones of 2002 and 1991--putting 
the final remnants of those conflicts squarely behind us.
  The United States, the Nation of Iraq, and the entire world have 
changed dramatically since 2002, and it is time the laws on the books 
catch up with these changes. The Iraq war has itself been long over. 
This AUMF has outlived its purpose, and we can no longer justify 
keeping it in effect.
  While the Iraq war was the cause of so much bitterness in the past, I 
am glad that repealing these AUMFs has been a genuinely bipartisan 
effort. I expect we will have a number of amendment votes on the floor 
once this amendment is before us, and I want to thank Senators Kaine 
and Young, Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch, and all the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee and the cosponsors of this legislation.
  Again, this is a bipartisan process. Both parties in this Chamber 
have voiced support for repeal. President Biden has voiced support for 
repealing this AUMF, and in June of 2021, our House colleagues voted 
268 to 168 to repeal, with 49 Republicans in support.
  I hope this year, on the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq 
war, both Chambers will finally speak in one voice and send an AUMF 
repeal to the President's desk.
  Americans are tired of endless wars in the Middle East. Many 
Americans have come of age without even remembering the early years of 
the Iraq war. Every year we leave these AUMFs on the books is another 
year that a future administration can abuse them, and Congress--the 
rightful dispenser of war powers--cannot allow this to continue.
  I want to make this clear: Repealing this AUMF will not in any way 
hinder our national defense, nor will it hurt the efforts of our troops 
deployed overseas. In fact, the repeal is an important step for 
strengthening our relationship with Iraq.
  So once again, thank you to all my colleagues for their good work on 
this resolution, and I urge everyone on both sides to vote ``yes'' on 
cloture on the motion to proceed in a few hours.

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