Bill Lee: “My amendment is really very simple. It is cosponsored by Representatives Grijalva and Ellison. It prohibits any funding…”

“My amendment is really very simple. It is cosponsored by Representatives Grijalva and Ellison. It prohibits any funding in this bill pursuant to the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force after December 31, 2015. This timeline gives the President and the Congress sufficient time-- that is 8 months after this is signed into law--to determine what if any authorization would be needed to replace the 2001 AUMF. This amendment is not only timely, but it really is necessary. On September 14, 2001, I could not vote for the 2001 AUMF. That was an authorization that I knew would provide a blank check to wage war any time, for any length, anywhere. In the last 14 years, it has become increasingly clear that this authorization has essentially provided the President--this is any President--President Bush, now President Obama--the authority to wage war against anyone, anywhere, at any time, against any country, with no authorization from Congress. In fact, the Congressional Research Service has found that the 2001 AUMF has been used more than 30 times to justify military action and other activities, including warrantless surveillance and wiretapping, indefinite detention practices at GTMO, targeted killing operations using lethal drones, and the open-ended expansion of military operations abroad, which have nothing to do with the original congressional intent.…”