Peters, Stabenow join successful Senate vote to repeal Iraq War authorization
Senate votes 66-30 to repeal 2002 bill authorizing war in Iraq; effort will head to Republican-led House
Twenty one years after America’s war in Iraq started, the U.S. Senate voted 66-30 to repeal the 2002 measure that authorized the use of military force in that country.
Michigan Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, supported the bill, S. 316. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, introduced it on Feb. 9.
Read it yourself: S. 316: Repeal of the authorization of the use of military force in Iraq
Four senators did not vote, per the Senate Press Gallery: Chris Coons of Delaware, Dianne Feinstein of California, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Fetterman and McConnell are both recovering from health issues.
McConnell spoke out against a repeal ahead of the vote.
“I am opposed to Congress sunsetting any military force authorizations in the Middle East,” McConnell said in a statement Wednesday. “Our terrorist enemies aren’t sunsetting their war against us. And when we deploy our servicemembers in harm’s way, we need to supply them with all the support and legal authorities that we can.”
The bill would need to pass the Republican-led House and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.