# Plain Language Summary: Outdated AUMF Repeal Act

This bill removes three old legal authorizations that have allowed the U.S. military to conduct military operations in Iraq and the Middle East. Think of these authorizations as standing orders from Congress that give the President permission to use military force in certain situations. This bill says those old orders are no longer valid and need to be canceled.

The first authorization being repealed was passed in 2002 and gave President George W. Bush the green light to invade Iraq. The second one is even older, from 1991, and authorized military action during the first Gulf War. The third authorization, from 1957, was a broad approval for military action to protect American interests in the Middle East. All three of these are decades old and relate to conflicts or situations that have long since changed or ended.

Why does this matter? These old authorizations have sometimes been used by presidents as legal justification for military operations that Congress never specifically approved for current situations. By repealing them, this bill would require the President to come back to Congress and get a new, specific authorization if they want to conduct major military operations in Iraq or the Middle East in the future. It's essentially saying that the blank checks written decades ago should no longer be valid, and any new military action should require Congress to vote on it directly. This affects military personnel, taxpayers funding military operations, and people in the Middle East who could be impacted by U.S. military actions.

Outdated AUMF Repeal Act

Gallagher, Mike

Outdated AUMF Repeal Act This bill repeals the authorizations for the use of military force against Iraq (dated January 14, 1991, and October 16, 2002) and repeals a joint resolution authorizing the provision of military assistance in the general area of the Middle East (dated March 9, 1957).