Lawmakers debate AUMF repeal; sponsor argues Congress should reclaim war powers

Representative Manion presented HR21, urging repeal of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). He argued that the 2001 AUMF’s language is narrow (limited to those responsible for the September 11 attacks and those who harbored them) but has been used broadly in recent decades to justify distant military operations. Manion said the statute’s vagueness invites executive expansion and encouraged the Legislature to tell the federal delegation to restore the constitutional role of Congress in authorizing hostilities.

Lawmakers questioned whether repeal would constrain urgent defensive action and how the War Powers Resolution (1973) interacts with AUMFs. Representative Manion responded that routine unilateral military actions have expanded beyond the AUMF’s text and that Congress should assert its constitutional prerogative to declare or authorize force when appropriate rather than permit open-ended delegations.

Representative Heath Howard supported HR21 on the floor of the hearing, emphasizing the high human and fiscal costs of long-term conflicts and arguing that ongoing authorizations have enabled ‘‘forever wars.’’ Other members raised scenarios — hostage rescues, counter-terrorism strikes, or sudden attacks — asking if repeal would hamper timely responses; sponsors pointed to existing War Powers limits and said Congress should be prepared to legislate precise authorizations where needed.

Ending: The committee discussed the legal and practical tradeoffs and asked staff to provide background materials; no final recommendation was recorded at the hearing.