WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement today after the full U.S. Senate voted 66-30 to pass legislation that would repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF): 

“This was a long overdue and much needed step.  The war against Saddam Hussein is long over.  I voted against the Iraq War and I am pleased the Senate has finally passed this AUMF repeal as well.  Our bilateral relationship with Iraq is fundamentally different today.  The Iraqis serve as key partner in the fight against ISIS.

“The passage of S.316 also serves as a reminder that Congress has the sole power to declare war and must exercise its responsibility with the utmost care.

“I commend the leadership of Senator Tim Kaine for seeing this through the Senate and I urge the U.S. House of Representatives to follow suit.”

Senator Reed has long supported the responsible repeal of the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs and is a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation, S. 316, led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN), to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force and formally end the Gulf and Iraq Wars.

Today’s vote to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs comes after the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom and marks the first time in over five decades that the U.S. Senate has voted to repeal an AUMF.

In advance of final passage, Senator Reed spoke on the Senate floor earlier this week in favor of repealing the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs.