Hawaii lawmaker vows to vote no on defense authorization over lack of AUMF

A lawmaker from Hawaii said they will vote no on the National Defense Authorization Act that comes up for a vote tomorrow, arguing Congress has not authorized current military action and opposing a proposed 10% increase in defense spending.

"I'm voting no on the defense bill that's coming up tomorrow," the lawmaker said, adding, "Normally, I vote yes on the National Defense Authorization Act." The speaker said they represent the state of Hawaii and acknowledged the state has "a lot of equities" tied to the NDAA.

The lawmaker described the present situation as "different," calling it "a regime change war of choice that congress hasn't even authorized." They said that, ordinarily, military action follows an authorization: "Normally, when you go to war, there's an authorization of the use of military force," and asserted that Republican leadership "has not even allowed that to come to the floor."

"There is no AUMF, and yet we are back at war with Iran," the lawmaker said, linking the absence of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to their opposition. The speaker concluded, "I will not support a National Defense Authorization Act. I will not authorize the defense department and a 10% increase in spending on defense without an authorization of the use of military force."

The statement is a declaration of a planned vote against the NDAA; the transcript does not record a formal motion or a recorded roll-call vote in this session. The lawmaker framed their stance as a condition: they would withhold support for the NDAA unless Congress provides an explicit authorization of the use of military force. The transcript does not record any response or rebuttal to the speaker's claims.