Kaine Statement On 17th Anniversary of 2002 AUMF

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement seventeen years after the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the war against Iraq was signed into law:

“Iraq is now our ally. It is incoherent that we have not just one, but two war authorizations in place against a country that is a partner to us in the region. Republican leadership should let the Senate vote on my bipartisan bill with Senator Young to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs so we can formally mark the end of the Iraq War and prevent the President from using these zombie authorizations to wage new battles across the globe. President Trump’s decision to betray the Kurds and invite a resurgence of ISIS is a grave reminder of why Congress should rein in his ability to make impulsive decisions that endanger our national security.”

For years, Kaine has been the leading voice in Congress raising concerns over Presidents’ efforts to expand the use of military force without congressional authorization. In March, Kaine and Senator Young introduced a bipartisan bill to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs, formalizing the end of the Gulf and Iraq Wars.

###