Political Quotes

“My bipartisan amendment is straightforward. It is cosponsored by Congressman Broun of Georgia and Congressman Sanford of South Carolina. It will prohibit any funding in this bill pursuant to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force after December 31, 2014. This date is set as the official end of combat operations in Afghanistan. Furthermore, it gives the President and Congress sufficient time to determine what, if any, authorization would be needed to replace the 2001 AUMF. The fact of the matter is the world has changed dramatically in the aftermath of the horrific tragedy of September 11. On September 14, 2001, I could not vote for the resolution, an authorization that I knew would provide a blank check to wage war any time, anywhere, for any purpose, and for any length. Thirteen years later, this authorization is still on the books. According to the Congressional Research Service, there are over 30 known instances of the executive branch invoking authority to engage in hostilities or deploy Armed Forces under this AUMF. The report, which is on my Web site, lists 30 instances where the AUMF has been invoked by President Bush and President Obama, including to deploy troops in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Georgia, Yemen, justify detentions at Guantanamo Bay, and conduct military commissions, among many other uses, for which this resolution served as the legal justification for.…”