So the Senate passed the repeal of the 2002 AUMF (authorization to topple Saddam Hussein) in March; House passage seemed easy-peasy too (a repeal was actually passed in that chamber in 2021, with bipartisan votes). That's when the House leadership decided to throw a monkey wrench into the process. Now they are going to hold hearings for 1991, 2002,
and 2001 AUMFs
and come up with a 'replacement,' since hawks contend that the more widely used 2001 AUMF (passed to authorize going after al Qaeda
and associated forces in Afghanistan after 9/11
) is necessary for the very security of our nation.
It's virtually a poison pill, as support for killing the 2001 is still soft, and Constitutional war powers advocates are loath to replace the outgoing AUMFs with anything.
best,
Kelley