The Trump administration’s threats of war against Iran are destabilizing and dangerous. And yet, the president currently has the authority to declare war with Iran without any congressional input or approval, on the basis of a law passed in 2001 called the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF). This law allows the president to skip congressional approval before using military force, even though, in our Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war.
I am opposed to war with Iran. I am also opposed to giving any president the sole authority to declare war without a robust congressional debate about when, where, and how our country goes to war.
The repeal of AUMF is now under consideration by both the U.S. House and Senate.
I urge Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, and Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King to support and pass legislation to repeal the AUMF, thereby requiring this president, or any president, to get congressional approval before launching a war.
If you also are against endless war and think that Congress should have input before sending military forces into battle, please call members of Maine’s congressional delegation today to ask them to repeal the Authorization to Use Military Force.
Cheryl Clukey
member, Kennebec Advocacy Team
Augusta
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.