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CVA statement on call for new AUMF, rebalancing of constitutional war powers

By Concerned Veterans for America

Veterans group applauds willingness to rein in and end endless wars through repeal of outdated authorizations

 

ARLINGTON, Va.—Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Executive Director, Nate Anderson, on Friday issued the following statement on the pronouncement of President Biden’s willingness to seek repeal of outdated and misinterpreted Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that have kept our troops fighting in Afghanistan and elsewhere for the past two decades:

“We applaud President Biden’s willingness to seek a new AUMF to rein in and end our forever wars. The 2001 and 2002 authorizations have been misconstrued to keep our troops fighting in places like Afghanistan for the past two decades, and they must be repealed. In the event a new authorization is necessary to defend the United States or its interests, the legislative branch must impose strict constraints that limit the time, geography, and scope of any U.S. military engagement. We look forward to continued collaboration with leaders in Congress and the White House to rebalance the constitutional duties of war and peace, end our costly wars, and bring our troops home.”

 

BACKGROUND

Most recently, CVA applauded the introduction of a bipartisan measure from Sens. Kaine and Young to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq and reassert Congress’ vital role in declaring wars and deciding where, when, and why we send American troops into harm’s way.

CVA has been working to repeal the outdated 2001 and 2002 AUMFs for years, making it a priority for its grassroots and advocacy efforts in its annual policy agendas (2019, 2020, 2021).  Notably, though less than a fifth of current members of Congress voted on the 2001 AUMF, it has been invoked at least 19 times for operations in over 41 countries since passage.

In 2019, the group partnered with VoteVets, a traditional rival, to urge lawmakers to reclaim their constitutional war powers duties. The New York Times wrote about the unlikely partnership. Setting the example for lawmakers and the administration, the groups found common ground on this issue and flew activists and volunteers in to DC to meet with their members of Congress to bring some real, lasting policy change in Washington.

CVA has been staunch in its support of lawmakers who have taken a principled stand and worked to repeal these measures in the past. In 2019, CVA welcomed the addition of the bipartisan War Powers Caucus to Congress, applauding lawmakers for prioritizing the issue. CVA also launched a digital ad campaign thanking lawmakers for standing against endless war, praising lawmakers for voting to ensure proper Congressional input before any offensive military force against Iran.

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