A majority of US senators on Wednesday backed legislation to revoke two-decade-old authorizations for previous wars in Iraq, as Congress seeks to reassert its role in decisions about sending troops to the battlefield.
Sixty-six senators voted in favor of legislation revoking authorizations for the use of military force in 1991 and 2002, and 30 voted against, the 51-vote majority needed to pass legislation that would formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars.
For the legislation to become law, it still needs to pass the Republican-led House of Representatives, where the chances of approval are slim.
All of the votes against repeal in the Senate came from Republicans, and House Speaker Mitch McConnell issued a statement opposing the legislation.
US President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign this legislation if it reaches his office.
Twenty years after the U.S. war on Iraq in March 2003, the vote marks a historic step away from a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans, sharply dividing the complex politics of the Middle East and American politics.
The vote is also the latest effort by lawmakers to restore Congress’s authority to decide whether to send troops to war, which the White House said was improperly given to the Senate and House.
“Creator. Award-winning problem solver. Music evangelist. Incurable introvert.”
