On Wednesday, legislation to repeal two authorizations for past wars in Iraq received backing from a US Senate committee. This development sets the stage for a potential vote in the full Senate before the 20th anniversary of the last invasion by American troops.

In an effort to reassert Congress’ role in deciding to send troops into combat, a bill to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs) against Iraq was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a 13-8 vote, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate, has announced that the full Senate may vote on the legislation in the upcoming weeks. This timeline would align with the 20th anniversary of the March 19, 2003, invasion of Iraq.

For years, lawmakers have been contending that Congress has relinquished excessive authority to the president regarding the decision to send troops into combat, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

This has occurred through the passage and subsequent failure to repeal broad, open-ended war authorizations, which presidents have then utilized for years to validate military operations worldwide.

Written by staff