The Senate is set to vote Wednesday on a bill that would repeal authorizations for the use of military force against Iraq, a significant moment as lawmakers aim to reassert authority in military intervention abroad.
The vote, which is expected to succeed by a bipartisan majority, comes on the heels of the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq.
The White House said it supports the measure to repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of force in Iraq. If it passes both chambers, it would mark a formal conclusion to the conflicts and a symbolic reassertion of Congress’ ability to declare war.
The fate of the bill in the US House of Representatives is still uncertain, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy has signaled support for it and said it would likely be brought to the floor. With bipartisan support for the repeal, the measure appears to have a good chance of passing the chambers, though it’s still unclear if lawmakers will try to amend it.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been a strong supporter of the repeal, saying “there’s no justification anymore” for allowing these authorizations to stay on the books.
“Every year they remain place … is another year a future administration can abuse them to ensnare us in another conflict in the Middle East,” he argued, in remarks on the Senate floor last week as the chamber was debating the bill. “The American people don’t want that, they’re tired of endless wars in the Middle East.”
Many Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, however, oppose repealing the war authorizations for use of force in Iraq, arguing they are not subject to abuse by presidents but give the White House flexibility to respond to threats around the world at a dangerous time.
Wednesday’s historic vote takes place amid a string of absences on both sides of the aisle…
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