Political Quotes

“Nearly two decades ago, Congress passed a resolution authorizing military force against the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. That resolution--aided in its passage by deeply flawed intelligence that we now know had no basis in fact authorized the use of force for two express purposes: to defend the national security of the United States against the continued threat posed by Iraq and to enforce all relevant UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq. It has been 18 years since Saddam Hussein was deposed. It has been a decade since the United States declared a formal end of operations in Iraq. The Iraqi government is a regional partner and the UN Security Council resolutions referenced have been fulfilled. In short, there is no virtue in allowing the 2002 AUMF to lay dormant but active. The only possible outcome is for a future administration to wield it as a legal loophole to bypass the need to confer with Congress before engaging in military operations. Each of us here understands that the nature of modern warfare has changed--it is murkier, dirtier, and involves a variety of state- and non-state actors. But that fact should not compel Congress to forfeit its constitutional responsibility to directly authorize the use of force. It should not preclude any administration from receiving direct authorization from the Congress to engage in global conflicts.…”