Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) released the following statement on the House of Representatives’ passage of legislation to repeal the 2002 Authorized Use of Military Force (AUMF).
“For decades, Congress has abdicated its Constitutional power to declare war to the President. Presidents from both sides of the aisle have used AUMFs far beyond the original intent of Congress. The United States has not had a significant military presence in Iraq for nearly a decade; the 2002 AUMF no longer serves any purpose aside from allowing presidents to circumvent Congress and unilaterally exercise military action.
Repealing the 2002 AUMF is a good start. It's time for Congress to reclaim the power to declare war on behalf of the American people.”
In March 2021, Congressman Jim Himes introduced the Reclamation of War Powers Act which would explicitly return the power to declare and wage war back to Congress, as the Constitution requires.
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