Warmonger Rep. Liz Cheney is putting the “forever” in “forever war” by condemning her fellow congressional colleagues who voted to repeal the two-decade-old Authorization for Use of Military Force used by President George W. Bush to invade Iraq.
“AUMF repeal without comprehensive replacement is dangerous, misguided, and ignores the security challenges facing our nation. This legislation removes a critical tool used by previous administrations – Republican and Democrat – to defeat terrorist threats originating in Iraq,” the Wyoming representative who was ousted from House leadership wrote in a statement.
Despite her insistence that the “repeal would send a message of weakness to our adversaries and allies alike” and that it “is not part of a comprehensive replacement providing adequate authority to combat terrorists or those who want to do our nation harm is a vote to leave America exposed to our enemies,” the lower chamber voted 268 to 161 to remove the authorization.
Oh come on pic.twitter.com/XcbQcOiVGO
— Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) June 17, 2021
The repeal comes after nearly 20 years of aimless military adventurism enabled by the authorization and multiple attempts to cut off the “blank check” to keep American soldiers overseas.
.@RepThomasMassie: "Hussein’s regime was defeated in 2003. Obama declared the Iraq War ended in 2011, but the AUMF was never repealed. It gives a blank check to keep American soldiers in Iraq indefinitely and puts us at risk of getting into another war.” https://t.co/79LJldoz05
— Jack Hunter (@jackhunter74) June 17, 2021
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed Cheney’s concerns about repealing the funding but multiple Republican representatives voted in favor of getting rid of the measure and noted that it was “no longer relevant.”
“The 2002 AUMF is no longer relevant and its repeal would not impact ongoing operations in the Middle East,” Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin said in a statement calling the vote a “matter of basic constitutional hygiene and a small but significant step forward in reasserting Congress’s war powers authorities.”
The 2002 AUMF is no longer relevant & its repeal would not impact ongoing operations in the Middle East. Today’s vote to repeal it is a matter of basic constitutional hygiene & a small step towards reasserting Congress’s war powers authorities.
More here:https://t.co/2ZhC9GbUQr pic.twitter.com/OmPeZnyrLn
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) June 17, 2021
