The advancement of the Senate legislation opens the door for consideration and debate ahead of a final vote on the bill next week, which could coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war on Monday.
The legislation was sponsored by Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who argue formally ending the two Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs) would send a message of support to Iraq, now a strategic partner in the Middle East.
Speaking at a Thursday press conference, Kaine said the vote to advance the bill was strong and bipartisan.
“Members of the Senate just did something today that we haven’t done in decades: to begin a standalone debate about the repeal of war authorizations,” the senator said.
Young said the most “fundamental responsibility” of Congress is to oversee its war powers.
“We’re going through the responsible, much-needed and much-neglected work of finally, legally bringing a war to a close,” he said.
American forces led a brief and successful campaign to combat an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War using the congressional AUMF passed that year.
The U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 with the 2002 AUMF. After quickly ousting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power, U.S. forces combatted insurgent groups until a formal withdrawal in 2011.
Iraq is now a strategic partner for the U.S., yet both AUMFs remain on the books and can technically be misused by a sitting president.
Former President Trump cited the 2002 AUMF when he ordered a strike on Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020.
Opponents of the AUMF repeals say the active war powers deter foreign adversaries such as Iran.
But Mario Marquez, an Iraq war veteran and director of the American Legion’s National Security Division, said at a press briefing with Kaine and Young that American troops deserve a formal end to the wars.
“Our force is not built to remain in a perpetual state of war,” Marquez said. “Veterans understand the human cost of war and we know that the burden of conflict falls heavily on our servicemembers and their families.”
If the Senate bill passes, the House will have to take it up. Similar bipartisan legislation was introduced in the lower chamber earlier this year.
President Biden has also signaled support for the legislation should it reach his desk.
Check out more Senate coverage here.
