The House voted Thursday to repeal the 2002 legal authorization for the war in Iraq, marking what the bill's backers hope is a first step to curbing the President's expansive war powers enacted after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The House voted 268-161 to repeal the authorization, with 49 Republicans joining Democrats to back the measure authorized by Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat. One Democrat voted against the bill. The vote occurred after the White House said this week that it supported repealing the 2002 war authorization -- the first time the Executive Branch has explicitly backed the effort -- saying that the legal authority in Iraq was no longer necessary.
The Senate is taking up similar legislation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he planned to put that legislation on the Senate floor this year. It's still not clear whether the measure would be able to gain enough support from Senate Republicans to reach the 60 votes needed to pass, however, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his opposition on Thursday.
House votes to repeal Iraq War authorization
House votes to repeal Iraq War authorization
Post Comment