Congress to Repeal AUMF Act

[ORAC]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/iraq-invasion-20-years-on-congress-could-strip-white-house-of-war-powers-hldqxv2wp

Congress could strip White House of war powers

….On the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion, many in Congress have called for the repeal of the powers granted to Bush in October 2002, along with the authorisation given to his father, President George HW Bush, before the 1991 Gulf War.

A bipartisan bill to revoke the Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is expected to pass the Senate in the coming days, after 19 Republicans joined Democrats to support opening a debate on the legislation last week.

“Americans are tired of endless wars in the Middle East. Every year we keep these AUMFs on the books is another chance for future administrations to abuse them,” the Democratic Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said last week.

Supporters of the move argue that the authorisation has been stretched beyond its original purpose by the White House. It was cited under the presidencies of Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump to launch military action against al-Qaeda, Islamic State and other militant groups.

The Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mitch-mcconnell-taken-to-hospital-after-fall-x3d5mmbxn), criticised the move, saying that it weakened the authority that supports US military operations abroad. Other Republican opponents warned that it could be seen as a signal of America’s retreat from the world, particularly in light of the chaotic and humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021…..

The Republicans are much changed from the party that championed aggressive military intervention overseas in the wake of 9/11, however. Many Republicans in Congress now support Donald Trump’s isolationist “America First” policy of limiting military operations overseas (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trump-says-he-is-the-best-pick-for-farmers-as-battle-with-desantis-begins-8vxqmwd7z). The party is increasingly divided on foreign policy, including in its backing for President Biden’s military and financial support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

As he attempts to take back the White House next year, Trump has lashed out at the neo-conservative movement that dominated the Republican Party under Bush. In a video last week the former president again attacked Biden’s support for Ukraine and the “globalist neo-con establishment” in both parties that he said was “perpetually dragging us into endless wars.”

[Imagegear]

Just watching the BBC's coverage of the Xi - Putin meeting.

Noted besides the usual vaporous verbiage, Xi was sitting in the higher chair looking down on Putin, also, Putin spent a lot of time not looking at Xi in a very subservient manner. Has anyone noted other cues.

IG

[pattern_is_full]

Xi was sitting in the higher chair looking down on Putin, also, Putin spent a lot of time not looking at Xi in a very subservient manner.

Some things never change. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8qo-uiAq58

[SASless]

ORAC,

Your analysis of this possible end to the War Powers Act lacks its usual understanding of issues I am used to seeing in your posts.

Some of the labels you attached seem to be prompted by their being found in media reporting rather than based upon fact.

One example is confusing "America First" with "Isolationism".....they are quite different concept.

The former is based upon determining what is in the best interest of the United States after consdering all possible information, factors, benefit and risk.

The latter is far simpler and connotes withdrawing and not getting involved at all.

No one can defend the fact we have engaged in Wars that could have not been fought, fought them in ways that did not provide any hope of success and permanent improvement in the regions where we fought them.

Twenty years of war in Afghanistan and we saw how that turned out....much the same as in Southeast Asia.

Now we are seeing ourselves being dragged into yet another War by an Administration that does not have a coherent strategy and is floundering about in its attempts to find one and then sell it to the Nation and our Allies.

Rather than drag this thread into another political argument....perhaps it should be moved to Jet Blast.

A limited discussion of the possible effects the ending of that set of powers by Congress might have on the course our support of the Ukraine Government and People takes might be appropriate for this forum.

Simply put the termination of the War Powers by Congress only limits the direct involvement of US Forces in combat.....to end support to the Ukraine would require a defunding of the support as was done by Congress at the end of the war in Southeast Asia.