On September 14th, 2001, three days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), authorizing the president to “use all necessary and appropriate force” against any person or group deemed by the president to be involved with the 9/11 attacks.4 Previous formal authorizations of war declarations resided in the hands of Congress until WWII. This 2001 AUMF has been cited as the legal authority for the president to wage actions ranging from the Afghanistan war to the fight against ISIL in many countries.2,5 Currently, a debate rages on how to compute the consequences of the AUMF.2,3 While it stands as a powerful tool for presidents to combat the perpetrators of the greatest civilian attack on Americans, it also allows the executive an unchecked, broad power to bypass Congress, using troops and trillions of dollars without interference.1,2 Congress has not taken up the President’s proposed AUMF intended for ISIL for politically expedient reasons during an election year.2,6
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Stakes:
Economic: In the fifteen years since the 2001 AUMF passed, we’ve spent trillions of dollars in the Middle East attacking Al-Qaeda and ISIL.1 If this continues, future groups that break away from Al-Qaeda and ISIL could extend the length of the authority for decades.1,2,5
Political: As a presidential election nears, Congress hesitates to take any stand on an issue as big as war authorization.2 Both sides of the aisle differ on the strategy to combat ISIL and the power of the executive in prosecuting wars.2 The American people fear ISIL, but also fear perpetual war.
Military: The existence and subsequent level of flexibility each AUMF contains determines classifications of wars and, thus, authorizes power to deploy troops.5 A broad, ambiguous AUMF enables continuous employment of troops and threatens extensive wars that cost American
Stakes:
Economic: In the fifteen years since the 2001 AUMF passed, we’ve spent trillions of dollars in the Middle East attacking Al-Qaeda and ISIL.1 If this continues, future groups that break away from Al-Qaeda and ISIL could extend the length of the authority for decades.1,2,5
Political: As a presidential election nears, Congress hesitates to take any stand on an issue as big as war authorization.2 Both sides of the aisle differ on the strategy to combat ISIL and the power of the executive in prosecuting wars.2 The American people fear ISIL, but also fear perpetual war.
Military: The existence and subsequent level of flexibility each AUMF contains determines classifications of wars and, thus, authorizes power to deploy troops.5 A broad, ambiguous AUMF enables continuous employment of troops and threatens extensive wars that cost American