On the recordJanuary 30, 2018
This was very undemocratic and underhanded, and it makes me wonder: What is the Speaker afraid of? So I asked for my amendment to be debated and voted on on the House floor, and again Republican leadership refused--really a shame. Our brave troops deserve us to come together and do this so that they know that their country has their back. I voted against the 2001 authorization because I believe it opened the door for any President to wage endless war without a congressional debate or vote. Quite frankly, unfortunately, history has borne that out. According to the Congressional Research Service report, the 2001 AUMF has been used more than 37 times in 14 countries to justify military action. This report examines only unclassified incidents, and it was conducted 3 years ago. So how many other operations have been conducted without the knowledge of Congress or the American people? These authorizations have also been used to justify perpetual wars that are thousands of miles away. I will conclude by saying that now any President--any President--can unilaterally wage war under this outdated authorization forever, really, until it is repealed. Now we have an administration bent on increasing our presence in Afghanistan and never leaving Syria, both wars that the American public know nothing about. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and reject this wasteful spending.
