Senate to Vote on Resolution to Repeal 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Wars in Iraq, Limiting Executive Branch War Powers

The U.S. Senate is set to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan resolution that would repeal the authorizations Congress passed in 1991 and 2002 for the wars in Iraq. The resolution, if passed, would revoke the 2002 authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, that Congress adopted ahead of the 2003 invasion, as well as the 1991 authorization for the first Gulf War.

Proponents of the resolution argue that repealing the authorizations is necessary to prevent the executive branch from having unchecked power to wage war. The resolution is expected to pass easily, having cleared procedural hurdles by a comfortable margin. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday that senators “should expect final passage on repealing the Iraq AUMFs as soon as tomorrow.”

The 1991 and 2002 authorizations have been used by presidents to authorize military operations against terrorist organizations considered a threat to the U.S. as part of the so-called war on terror. The resolution would revoke these authorizations, and would also repeal the authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, for the Gulf War in 1991 under President George H.W. Bush and for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 under President George W. Bush.

The resolution is a rare bipartisan effort by Congress to revoke the authority to wage war from the executive branch more than 20 years after the start of the Iraq War. If passed, it would be a significant step in limiting the executive branch’s power to wage war without congressional approval. The Senate is expected to pass the resolution on Wednesday, and it will then move to the House of Representatives for consideration.