House votes to repeal the 2002 Iraq war authorization

On Thursday, the House voted to repeal the 2002 war authorization of military force against Iraq. The vote passed by 268-161 in the House, with 49 Republicans and 219 Democrats voting in favor. The repeal was endorsed by the White House and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks argued that the legislation was “vulnerable to being abused” given Iraq’s proximity to other global hotspots, saying during the vote: “Repeal is crucial because the executive branch has a history of stretching the 2002 AUMF’s legal authority. It has already been used as justification for military actions against entities that had nothing to do with Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist’s dictatorship.”

The bill must now be considered by the Senate, which is already considering a similar measure, though theirs includes a repeal of the Iraq-focused 1991 authorization. If both bills pass, the two chambers will have to consolidate the bills before laying a final product on the president’s desk.