Biden supports HR effort to repeal authority of 'forever war' in Iraq

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The Joe Biden Administration issued a statement saying that it "supports House passage of HR 256, to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002," adding, "This bipartisan legislation would terminate the October 16, 2002, statutory authorization for the use of military force against Iraq."

The statement added, "The Administration supports the repeal of the 2002 AUMF, as the United States has no ongoing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 AUMF as a domestic legal basis, and repeal of the 2002 AUMF would likely have minimal impact on current military operations."

The United States Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war.

That power gradually shifted to President after Congress passed authorizations that are still valid for the use of military force, such as the 2002 Iraq Authorization, as well as the authorization that enabled the fight against al-Qaeda after 9/11.

The statement also said, "President is committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework appropriate to ensure that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats."

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this week on legislation introduced by Democrat Representative Barbara Lee to repeal the 19-year Iraq war authority. There is no word yet on when the Senate would consider the matter.

Months ago, Rep Barbara Lee said the AUMF was used more than 40 times to justify attacks in 19 countries, adding, "It is time for us to end these forever wars."

In March, Democrat lawmakers revealed that work had begun on legislation to repeal the president's authorization of military force and return it to Congress. Senators are also seeking to return the power to declare war to Congress from the White House.

The House of Representatives agreed last year to repeal the 2002 authorization for the use of military force, but the measure was not approved by the then-Republican-controlled Senate.

For decades, Republican and Democrat presidents have used this authority to justify attacks on targets abroad. The White House has said that President Joe Biden believes that the AUMF should be reviewed.