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Press Release

POGO Urges House to Repeal 2002 Iraq War Authorization

The House should pass the amendment to repeal the 2002 authorization of military force in Iraq. Congress must re-assert its power to declare war by repealing a war authorization that’s been abused by presidents of both parties for years.
Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two move in a tactical formation during a training evolution to locate, identify, render safe and dispose of an IED in Tikrit, Iraq, on July 12, 2010. (Photo: U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Miguel Angel Contreras)

(WASHINGTON)—The House should pass the amendment brought by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq. It is past time for Congress to reassert its authority to declare war by repealing a war authorization that has been abused by presidents of both parties for years.

In 2011, the U.S. government held a ceremony to mark the official end of the Iraq War. Yet in the years since, the executive branch has used the 2002 war authorization to justify additional, unrelated military action, cutting Congress out of the process.

According to the Constitution, Congress “shall have Power … To declare War,” not the president, and lawmakers must re-affirm their authority by passing this amendment.

“It’s time for Congress to reclaim its authority to determine when use of force is appropriate,” said Katherine Hawkins, senior legal analyst with The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight. “By repealing the 2002 authorization to use force against Iraq, Congress will prevent the executive branch from dusting off an old authorization in order to draw the U.S. into new wars that Congress never approved.”

Media Contacts:Katherine Hawkins, Senior Legal Analyst with The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), [email protected] or (202) 347-1122; or Caitlin MacNeal, Media Relations Manager at POGO, [email protected] or (202) 347-1122.

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