The vote was 65 to 28 to limit debate on the measure, more than the
60 votes required in the 100-member Senate, paving the way for a
vote on passage later this week. All 28 "no" votes were from
Republicans.
Members of Congress have been arguing for years that Congress has
ceded too much authority to both Republican and Democratic
presidents over whether troops should be sent into combat, by
passing and then failing to repeal broad, open-ended war
authorizations that presidents have used for years to justify
military action around the globe.
Under the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the right
to declare war.
Proponents of the current bill call the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations
for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, against Iraq "zombie"
authorizations. They say they are outdated and inappropriate, given
that the wars are long over and Iraq is now a U.S. partner.
This month marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the 2003 Iraq
war.
"Repealing these authorizations will demonstrate to the region, and
to the world, that the United States is not an occupying force, that
the war in Iraq has come to an end, that we are moving forward,
working with Iraq as a strategic partner," said Senator Bob
Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, said before the vote, urging support for the legislation.
(Reporting by Patricia ZengerleEditing by Chris Reese and David
Gregorio)
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