Posted on 03/03/2021 5:09:08 PM PST by RandFan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators introduced bipartisan legislation on Wednesday to repeal decades-old authorizations for the use of military force used to justify years of attacks in the Middle East, an effort to shift back the authority to declare war to Congress from the White House.
The measure, led by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine and Republican Senator Todd Young, would repeal 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq, citing the “strong partnership” between Washington and the government in Baghdad.
Under the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the right to authorize war.
But those AUMFs - and a third one, from 2001, for the fight against al Qaeda - have been used to justify strikes by both Democratic and Republican presidents since they were passed. They have been criticized as allowing “forever wars” that have kept U.S. forces fighting overseas for decades.
“Last week’s airstrikes in Syria show that the Executive Branch, regardless of party, will continue to stretch its war powers,” Kaine said in a statement.
Members of Congress from both parties have sought repeatedly to repeal the AUMFs in recent years, but efforts have fallen short.
The other sponsors of the new measure include Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth, Chris Coons and Dick Durbin, as well as Republican Senators Mike Lee, Chuck Grassley and Rand Paul.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Bomb the border.
The irony.
Now comes the Senate, attempting to overthrow the will of progressives, and somehow keep Biden in the saddle while slipping his horse out from under him.
Next, the Senate will accuse Mike Pence of failing to send the Electoral Votes back to the States for review.
Biden is a war monger.
Jill Biden is a war monger.
Yes he is.
He has supported every military action for the last 50 years!
They were demonstrating in the streets to protest Trump’s warmongering. Turns out it’s a demented old fool who’s actually doing it.
I am all for making it more difficult for the people around Biden to feather their nests with contributions from munitions makers. But, limiting the potential threat that future presidents can use to further American interests without ever firing a shot, is probably a bad move. On the other hand, Biden is a complete idiot. It wasn’t LBJ who got us into Vietnam, it was apparently Robert McNamara. LBJ signed the document starting the war and said to McNamara, “well, you’ve got your damned war. But for the life of me, I don’t see how we’re going to get out of it.”
Incidentally, has anyone wondered why nations no longer declare war? It’s because international law stops all trade with belligerent nations. Nobody can afford to have a legitimate, legally declared war. So, now we just have never ending police actions and national “interventions.”
Not sure what this bill will really accomplish. Troops are already deployed and nobody will want to hamstring their ability to defend themselves.
If they want to make a statement they need to be bolder and call on Biden to draw down the troops. That may not get anywhere either, but it will at least bring the conversation into the public square again.
The bills will go nowhere - we have a long and unfortunate tradition in this country of letting presidents commit acts of war against other nations without Congress declaring war.
Things must be even worse behind the scenes regarding Biden’s mental health
[“Last week’s airstrikes in Syria show that the Executive Branch, regardless of party, will continue to stretch its war powers,” Kaine said in a statement.]
LOL
How long until they Cuomo Tim Kaine?
(for the record, I am definitely NOT a fan of Tim Kaine)
“U.S. senators offer bill to rein in Biden war powers after Syria strike”
Does anyone even know who ordered the strike? All we know is that Biden, for sure, DID NOT order the strike (he’s no longer capable of that).
They’re afraid he’ll get confused and bomb Ohio instead of Iowa.
Tim Kaine wants this too. He was Hilary’s VP pick back in 2016. Tim is probably still under unofficial Clinton Control.
Don’t think for a minute Biden did anymore than scrawl his name on the order. Harris, Susan Rice and likely Obama planned this action.
This is disgusting and totally unconstitutional.
“...not sure what this Bill will accomplish...”
“...repeal decades-old authorizations for the use of military force used to justify years of attacks in the Middle East, an effort to shift back the authority to declare war to Congress from the White House.”
Then they'd have to do all that icky stuff like raze cities to the ground, create mountains of enemy dead, and press the military to execute enemy combatants not following the rules of war.
Wouldn't play well at the country club or faculty meeting. They love their own image as 'nice guys' supporting 'international law' far more than their own country.
Yeah, I mean in a practical sense. Would this bill mean the immediate draw down of troops? Or is it just a power play by the branches of government?
FWIW, I always thought these use of force authorizations were improper. It’s a half-assed way to declare war without declaring it. Passive aggressiveness by our politicians, so they can take credit and assign blame depending on which way the winds blow. And of course I have lamented Congress’ abdication to the Executive Branch over the decades.
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