Rep Kat Cammack (R-FL) voted in favor of H.R. 256, a bill to repeal the 2002 Iraq War Authorization, which approved U.S. military operations in Iraq.
Cammack is no stranger to military issues, as she currently sits on the House Homeland Security Committee and has stood firmly behind Israel against Hamas, making this move certainly not a surprise.
Passed by Congress in 2002, the bill permitted military action to address the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's regime and allowed the president to use the U.S. armed forces as 'necessary and appropriate' to 'defend the national security of the U.S. against the continuing threat posed by Iraq.'
"As a graduate of the Naval War College, the very first thing they taught us is that every military engagement needs a termination plan," said Cammack of her vote. "The '02 AUMF remains on the books and has been used to justify a myriad of military actions even though the conflict ended officially in 2011. As we approach the 20th anniversary of its passage, it's past time for us to call it off."
"Military engagements against a foreign nation should not be available on a whim at the discretion of the president, relying on old authorizations that are no longer relevant to current circumstances," Cammack added, "With the sole responsibility to declare war vested in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, Congress must thoroughly consider and debate these actions in each instance. Serious decisions where the lives of our men and women are on the line deserve thoughtful, deliberate consideration, not outlived authorizations that make executive authority painless."
The bill passed with solid support and is now on its way to the Senate.
