Bill Lee: “First let me just thank the Committee on Rules Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Slaughter and all of the members of…”

“First let me just thank the Committee on Rules Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Slaughter and all of the members of the committee for making this amendment in order. My amendment is very straightforward. It would, after 90 days of enactment of this act, repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force which Congress passed into law September 14, 2001. When we repeal this 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, Congress would finally be forced to debate and vote on a specific AUMF to address the ISIL threat. Now, I voted against the 2001 authorization because I believed it opened the door for any President to wage endless war without a congressional debate or a vote, and I believe, quite frankly, that history has borne that out. I include in the Record a new report from the Congressional Research Service. Congressional Research Service, May 11, 2016. Memorandum Subject: Presidential References to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force in Publicly Available Executive Actions and Reports to Congress. From: Matthew Weed, Specialist in Foreign Policy Legislation. This memorandum was prepared to enable distribution to more than one congressional office. This memorandum sets out information and analysis concerning presidential references in official notifications and records to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (2001 AUMF; Public Law 107-40; 50 U.S.C. Sec.…”