FILE – In this May 13, 2021, file photo, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
The House of Representatives has repealed the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq. The decision was made in a 268-to-161 vote on Thursday with 49 Republicans voting “yay” on the matter, along with nearly all Democrats.
The Iraq Resolution was passed in response to 9/11, in turn, giving the president broad authority to green-light military operations in Iraq in order to fight Islamic terror. Supporters of the measure said there’s no need for presidents to continue to have broad discretion over military actions in the country since the Iraq war has been over for nearly 10 years.
However, Republicans who oppose the repeal have said although some powers should be peeled back, there needs to be a new authorization in place so that Iran, a major state sponsor of terror, is not emboldened to commit more acts of terrorism.
“This short sighted and purely political effort to repeal the authority without a replacement sends the wrong message and will embolden the Islamic terror groups and the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, Iran,” stated Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.). “I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill until we have a viable replacement that addresses the threat of Iran and its proxies. We have already turned our backs on Afghanistan.”
The bill is likely to face stronger opposition in the Senate, where Democrats hold a much smaller majority. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has already spoken out against it while arguing the authorization extends far beyond the Iraq war.
A Senate Committee is scheduled to take up the bill next week.
Source: One America News Network
