Members of Congress applauded after the House Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved Rep. Barbara Lee’s amendment that would revoke the overbroad 2001 law giving the president authority to undertake war against al Qaeda and its affiliates unless a replacement provision is created. The bipartisan vote was a rebuke of President Trump’s abuse of this authority to use military force in Syria and Yemen against groups not affiliated with al Qaeda without authorization from Congress. Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican who supported Rep. Lee’s amendment, said, “It’s time for leadership to wake up, and the administration to wake up, and send over a recommended AUMF, mark it up and take it to the floor. I don’t know any other way to get their attention because we’ve been talking about it for years.”
Unfortunately, House Speaker Paul Ryan called Barbara Lee’s amendment a “mistake” and threatened to strip it from the bill.
Urge your Representative & Senators to support & protect Barbara Lee’s amendment to sunset the 2001 AUMF by signing our petition at MoveOn.