WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin introduced a bill on Wednesday that would prospectively repeal the 2001 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force that was enacted in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on our country by the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. The legislation builds on the Senate’s vote earlier in the day to repeal two outdated and obsolete Authorizations for the Use of Military Force enacted into law in 1991 and 2002.
“No administration should continue to use the 2001 AUMF – that clearly and specifically is aimed at those who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks – as a blank check for war anywhere and anytime,” said Senator Cardin. “Having voted decisively to repeal the authorizations of 1991 and 2002 in legislation led by my able colleagues, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), we now need to move with dispatch to repeal and replace the 2001 authorization. It is a responsibility that we must assume to protect our national security in today’s context.”
This bill would repeal the outdated authorization while providing enough time for the US Congress and Administration to agree on its replacement. The bill would sunset the existing AUMF repeal in July 2025, allowing for ample time to find an appropriate replacement.
Senator Cardin introduced similar legislation in the 114th Congress (S.526) and in the 117th Congress (S.J.Res.22).
