The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Wednesday to repeal the 1991 law that authorized the Persian Gulf War and the 2002 law that authorized President George W. Bush to invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein, sending the resolution to the Senate floor. The panel took that step by a 14-8 vote, with all Democrats and three Republicans — including Senator Todd Young of Indiana, who co-sponsored the proposal with Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia — supporting it. The vote was preceded by a debate over the scope and limits of President Biden’s power to use military force against Iran. Mr. Biden has twice authorized missile strikes against Iranian-backed militias threatening American forces — in Syria in February and in Syria and Iraq in June — citing his constitutional authority as commander in chief. Several Republicans at the committee meeting on Wednesday said they supported the idea of repealing the 1991 and 2002 Iraq war authorizations, or at least saw no harm in it as a matter of substance, but worried that it would send a message of weakness to Iran.

Source: New York Times August 04, 2021 17:37 UTC