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Sign the petition: Only Congress can decide if the U.S. goes to war. Time to repeal Iraq AUMFs [1]

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Date: 2023-03-30  

Let's be clear: There was never a formal declaration of war in either conflict. Congress has not actually voted to declare war since World War II. But these AUMF resolutions give the president wide latitude to wage military force that they deem necessary for "national security." And it can be used by any future president until such resolutions are repealed.

Isn’t it merely symbolic to repeal these zombie war powers, as one article put it? No. Presidents in both parties have used these ongoing AUMF resolutions to proceed actions. In January 2020, the Trump administration carried out the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani—the second-highest official in Iran—which further aggravated U.S.-Iranian tensions. Their legal basis for doing the killing? The 2002 AUMF in Iraq.

And when the Obama administration carried out its campaign against ISIS in 2014, officials cited the 2002 Iraq AUMF to justify airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

Repealing both the 1991 and 2002 AUMF resolutions has surprising bipartisan support, with many members of Congress who initially supported the conflicts saying it is time to move on. Passing it in the Senate is a big deal, but it still must pass the House. The House passed an AUMF repeal vote in 2021, but with a Republican majority passage is open to question. We need to let Congress know this is not about partisan politics, it’s about the Constitution.

Sign and send the petition to your U.S. House member: Repeal outdated war powers, and hold every president accountable.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/30/2160726/-Sign-the-petition-Only-Congress-can-decide-if-the-U-S-goes-to-war-Time-to-repeal-Iraq-AUMFs

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