WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 268-162 to repeal the 2002 authorization for use of military force (AUMF) in Iraq, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged the U.S. Senate to take action to repeal the 2002 AUMF:

“I voted against the 2002 AUMF when it was introduced nearly 20 years ago, and I support its repeal now, which is long overdue.  The war in Iraq was a war of choice that cost thousands of lives, billions of dollars, diminished our standing in the world, and made the war in Afghanistan even more complex.  The war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq is long over, and our bilateral relationship with Iraq is very different today.  In our current fight against violent extremists in the Middle East, the Administration has made clear that it doesn’t rely solely on the 2002 AUMF as a basis for any ongoing military operations.

“Beyond recognizing the global reality, there are important legal reasons to repeal the 2002 AUMF.  Chief among them is that Congress has the sole power to declare war, as laid out in the Constitution, and it must exercise that responsibility with the utmost care when it comes to matters of the use of military force.

“I commend the Biden Administration for supporting this important repeal, and I look forward to the Senate taking up and passing this measure.”