Congresswoman Barbara Lee Recognizes the 19th Anniversary of Her Vote Against the 2001 AUMF
Washington D.C. — Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement on the 19th anniversary of her vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) following the attacks on September, 11th 2001. Congresswoman Lee was the only member of Congress to vote against the measure.
“Today marks the 19th anniversary of the post-9/11 AUMF, a blank check to deploy US military personnel anywhere in the world in the name of going after terrorists, which I alone stood in opposition of.
“Decades later, Congress continues to abdicate its constitutional responsibility to debate and vote on matters of war and peace while young men and women continue to risk their lives for this country. I opposed this abuse of power then, and I still oppose it to this day, but we have made incredible progress – Earlier this summer, the full House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2021 Department of Defense Appropriations bill, which included my amendment adopted in the committee to sunset the 2001 AUMF.
“I believe the end is finally in sight for these endless wars. Now is the time for Congress, and eventually the White House,?to reckon with the reality that gross inequity and institutionalized violence is far too prevalent in our society. We must reconceptualize how we build security both at home and abroad to uphold the wellbeing and dignity of all people. Our focus should be on broad reforms to end our government’s ability to do harm in the world – such as by repealing the AUMFs and publicly debating any future use of military force – and finally reimagine what tools we employ to confront the threats of the twenty-first century.”