U.S. Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced Monday legislation to update the authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs) against non-state terrorist groups abroad.
The bill, cosponsored by Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE, Todd Young (R-IN), and Bill Nelson (D-FL), provides updated AUMFs against al-Qaida, the Taliban, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and increases congressional oversight and transparency.
Congress passed the current legal authority immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001, and has not updated it since. The new legislation would repeal the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs after the new AUMF has been in place for 120 days.
“For too long, Congress has given Presidents a blank check to wage war,” Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, said. “We’ve let the 9/11 and Iraq War authorizations get stretched to justify wars against multiple terrorist groups in over a dozen countries, from Niger to the Philippines. Our proposal finally repeals those authorizations and makes Congress do its job by weighing in on where, when, and with who we are at war.”
The proposed bill also establishes a process by which Congress will review the AUMF every four years without risking a lapse in authorization.
It would also require the president to report to Congress on all new designated associated forces and each new country in which the United States is using military force under the AUMFs.
It allows the president to immediately use force against a new associated force or in a new country under the new AUMFs but requires that Congress be notified within 48 hours. The notification will begin a 60-day review period during which Congress may take action to stop the new use of military force.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has exclusive jurisdiction over authorizations for use of military force. It is scheduled to debate, amend and vote on the proposed legislation during the week of April 23.