The Senate on Thursday voted to advance a bill that would repeal the 2002 measure that greenlighted the March 2003 invasion of Iraq and a 1991 measure that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War to expel Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait, a measure for which President Joe Biden signaled support.
A final vote on the bill is expected to be taken up by the chamber early next week, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Repealing the measure would "have no impact on current U.S. military operations and would support this administration's commitment to a strong and comprehensive relationship with our Iraqi partners," the White House said in a statement.
"President Biden remains committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework more appropriate to protecting Americans from modern terrorist threats," the White House statement said. "Toward that end, the administration will ensure that Congress has a clear and thorough understanding of the effect of any such action and of the threats facing U.S. forces, personnel, and interests around the world."
The effort comes at a time when lawmakers of both parties are seeking to reclaim congressional powers over U.S. military strikes and deployments. They say the war authorizations are no longer necessary and subject to misuse if they are left on the books.
The vote comes almost 21 years after the contentious Senate vote to give President George W. Bush the authority he had sought to invade Iraq. That vote, which came just a month before the 2002 midterm elections, was a defining moment for members of Congress as the country debated whether a military strike was warranted in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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