House Republicans not sold in Senate-approved abolition of US war powers in Iraq

ORLANDO, Fla. — Senate Republicans said the Senate would not seek approval from the House to withdraw the president’s authorization to use military force in Iraq, but gave the president the power to conduct military operations. He said he was interested in modernizing the law that gives abroad.

The Senate voted 67-28 on Tuesday in a pivotal test vote on bipartisan legislation Congress passed to rescind the 2002 Iraq war authorization and the 1991 authorization to authorize U.S. military action in the Gulf War. bottom.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said he wanted more.

“I think it will probably modernize,” McCarthy told reporters at a House Republican meeting in Orlando.

He said the House Foreign Relations Committee will review the Senate bill ready for passage on Wednesday, and believes several versions of the bill have passed the committee and will be put to a full vote in the House.

House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Michael McCall (Republican, Texas) said he supports repeal of the Two Authorizations for War (AUMF) for the Use of Military Force. But he said he wanted to replace them with updated versions rather than simply eliminate them.

“Congress needs to consult with military commanders and intelligence agencies to have a comprehensive alternative AUMF,” McCall told The Washington Times. “The phasing out of those Iraqi authorities would not be a significant contribution to war powers reform.”

McCarthy and McCall’s remarks suggest a complicated path to abolishing war powers. This has long been the goal of many Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who have become wary of military entanglements abroad.

McCarthy acknowledged growing party interest in curbing congressional approval for military action abroad after two deadly and costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It’s been 20 years,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s a very healthy thing for us to take this up and see this.”

The Senate bill has broad bipartisan support. Nearly 20 Republicans voted on his March 16th to take the bill easily into the floor along with all Democrats, but his 27 Republicans, the majority of Republican senators, voted against. I threw

President Biden said he would sign the Senate bill.

Democrats and some Republicans are also looking to repeal the third permit, issued days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But Mr McCarthy does not support the 2001 repeal of the authority because it is being used to combat global terrorism, he said.

“I would still like to have that ability,” McCarthy said. “I have seen that the world is not a safe place. If there are terrorists anywhere in the world, I still want to take action. is being deleted. That’s where I personally believe.

McCarthy said he would not oppose repeal of the bill that authorized the Iraq War in 2002, but expected it to be modernized rather than repealed.

Officials in the Biden administration called the 1991 and 2002 authorizations “obsolete” and “unnecessary,” and Mr. Biden said the 2001 law was “more appropriate to protect Americans from modern terrorist threats.” He suggested that he was interested in replacing it with a narrow and concrete framework.

Dozens of Republicans in the House and Senate remain wary of the withdrawal of approval.

The 2002 AUMF was used by President Trump to authorize the military to kill Iraqi terrorist mastermind Qassem Soleimani during a strike at Baghdad International Airport in 2020. Many Democrats opposed the move to kill Soleimani.

Republican supporters of the 2002 AUMF believe the permit is still needed to stop Iran-backed terrorist groups targeting US troops, diplomats and civilians abroad.

“By decommissioning and taking alternative measures at the same time, we can avoid these dangers,” McCall said.