Senator Murray, who voted against the original 2002 authorization of war against Iraq, spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of repealing the outdated AUMFs and reasserting Congressional authority over the question of war.
Senador Murray: “When we send people to war, it should be a decision—not a status quo.”
***VIDEO OF SENATOR MURRAY’S FLOOR SPEECH AVAILABLE AQUÍ***
(Washington DC) - Today, following the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), took to the Senate floor to urge her colleagues to vote to repeal the Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) of 1991 and 2002, formally ending the Gulf and Iraq Wars. During her speech, Senator Murray reflected on her vote 20 years ago against the original 2002 AUMF and spoke to the importance of reasserting Congressional authority in questions of war.
“The decision about whether or not to go to war and put servicemembers’ lives at risk is the most serious and most consequential issue we can debate here in the United States Senate,” dijo el senador Murray. “American lives, American security, and America’s future are all at stake when our country decides questions of war and peace.”
“When we first deliberated on whether to take action in Iraq, I wanted to know with absolute confidence that we had done our due diligence before moving forward with the weighty decision to send our men and women into a dangerous conflict. And I will tell you after hearing all sides on whether to engage our military, one thing I still wasn’t hearing—was clear answers,” continuó el senador Murray. “I determined I could not support sending our men and women into harm’s way on an ill-defined mission. A mission which ultimately cost us dearly—in lives most importantly, but also in dollars and our standing around the world. Twenty years later, the mission in Iraq is over, our troops have returned home, and Iraq’s government has evolved into a diplomatic partner. But those outdated legal authorizations remain on the books, leaving an open-ended basis for presidents to misuse our military for political gain.”
In her floor speech, Senator Murray also cautioned that failure by Congress to exercise its constitutionally-designated oversight could lead to further misuse of the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs by future administrations. Murray pointed to the Trump administration’s escalatory missile strikes in Iraq which, among other things, jeopardized the United States’ relationships with its allies, put the safety of U.S. servicemembers and civilians at risk, and brought the U.S. dangerously close to war with Iran. Senator Murray made clear that any attempt to brush off Congressional oversight of the executive branch over matters of war should be opposed, and that voting to repeal these AUMFs helps ensure Congress explores all other diplomatic avenues before plunging the nation into war.
“When and whether to engage in war is a choice that explicitly belongs to Congress and the American people—and if we don’t assert that power, we risk leaving behind a dangerous precedent for the future,” dijo el senador Murray. “That’s why I am voting to repeal these authorizations. Taking this step will make sure we’re doing our part here in Congress to give questions of war the full consideration they deserve, and make sure we’re exhausting every diplomatic avenue before jumping into a full blown war effort and putting servicemembers in harm’s way.”
“This is one of the most important votes we can make—so let’s act like it. Let’s ensure every decision made to authorize the use of military force is responsible, is appropriate, and is constitutional. I hope that by repealing these outdated AUMFs we return to a place where Congress—and by extension, the American people—can have a serious debate and ultimately decide about whether or not we go to war.”
The daughter of a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Senator Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, also discussed the toll war takes on our servicemembers and emphasized the responsibility Congress has to support the veterans of any conflict—in the years during and after the Iraq war, Senator Murray made funding for veterans services and the expansion of veterans’ benefits and care a top priority of hers. Senator Murray has advocated to reassert Congress’ authority in deciding matters of armed conflict over the course of her entire Senate career. Since 2020, Senator Murray has copatrocinado Senator Kaine’s war powers legislation.
Senator Murray’s floor remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below
“M. President, this past Sunday marked the 20-year anniversary of the war in Iraq.
“Now I could not be prouder of our servicemembers who bravely served our nation overseas.
“I am deeply grateful for their service and sacrifice, and I am committed to making sure we live up to our obligations to each and every one of them.
“But as I have said many times—this is a war I never thought we should have started, and it’s one we clearly should have ended long, long ago.
“So I come to the floor today, to urge my colleagues to commemorate the anniversary of this war—by officially ending this badly outdated war authorization, at long last.
“I urge them to join in me in taking the long overdue step of reasserting Congress’ authority in decisions about war and peace by voting to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for use of Military Force.
“Because M. President, when we send people to war, it should be a decision—not a status quo.
“M. President, the decision about whether or not to go to war and put servicemembers’ lives at risk is the most serious and most consequential issue we can debate here in the United States Senate.
“American lives, American security, and America’s future are all at stake when our country decides questions of war and peace.
“And when we first deliberated on whether to take action in Iraq, I wanted to know with absolute confidence that we had done our due diligence before moving forward with the weighty decision to send our men and women into a dangerous conflict.
“That is why all those years ago, I came to the floor to debate the very resolution that gave President Bush the authority he wanted to wage war in Iraq.
“I wanted to know what our goals were, what our plan was, what a victory and exit strategy looked like, and what evidence we had that this was necessary.
“And I will tell you after hearing all sides on whether to engage our military, one thing I still wasn’t hearing—was clear answers.
“I determined I could not support sending our men and women into harm’s way on an ill-defined mission.
“A mission which ultimately cost us dearly—in lives most importantly, but also in dollars and in our standing around the world.
“Twenty years later, the mission in Iraq is over, our troops have returned home, and Iraq’s government has evolved into a diplomatic partner.
“But those outdated legal authorizations remain on the books, leaving an open-ended basis for presidents to misuse our military power for political gain.
“And we have already seen how leaders can use them as a free pass to recklessly push for the misuse of military force.
“Just three years ago, without consulting Congress, former President Trump ordered missile strikes in Iraq against an Iranian military leader which, among many things, jeopardized our relationships with key allies, risked the safety of U.S. servicemembers and civilians, and brought us perilously close to war.
“That is not how this should work.
“That is not how the Constitution says it should work.
“Our servicemembers deserve better than that.
“When and whether to engage in war is a choice that explicitly belongs to Congress and the American people.
“And if we don’t assert that power, we risk leaving behind a dangerous precedent for the future.
“That is why I am voting to repeal these authorizations.
“Taking this step will make sure we’re doing our part here in Congress to give questions of war the full consideration they deserve, and make sure we’re exhausting every diplomatic avenue before jumping into a full blown war effort and putting servicemembers in harm’s way.
“I saw the scars—physical and mental—that veterans like my Dad took home from World War II, that veterans like my peers took home from Vietnam, that veterans today have taken home from Iraq.
“This is one of the most important votes we can make—so let’s act like it.
“Let’s ensure every decision made to authorize the use of military force is responsible, is appropriate, and is constitutional.
“I hope that by repealing these outdated AUMFs we return to a place where Congress—and by extension, the American people can have a serious debate and ultimately decide about whether or not we go to war.
“It’s long past time for Congress to reassert its authority and oversight responsibility here, so I urge my colleagues to join me, Senators Kaine and Young, in getting this done.”
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