Young, Kaine Op-Ed: Formally ending Iraq wars is a victory for the American people

WASHINGTON - The following column was published by U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.):

Formally ending Iraq wars is a victory for the American people

SENS. TODD YOUNG (R-Ind.) AND TIM KAINE (D-Va.)

The 1991 and 2002 congressional Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) against Iraq have remained on the books as zombie war declarations for years after those conflicts ended. After our long advocacy, Congress has recently acted decisively to repeal these authorizations in the 2026 defense bill. These are the first war authorizations to be repealed by Congress in more than half a century.

We started our effort years ago out of a belief that Congress needs to shoulder its constitutional responsibility over decisions about the initiation and completion of war. The 1991 AUMF authorized the quick and successful operation against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces after he invaded Kuwait. The 2002 AUMF plunged the U.S. into another war against Iraq, marking the end of Saddam Hussein's rule.

Major military action against Iraq ceased with the fall of Hussein in 2003, but operations did not fully cease until 2011. Since that time, the United States has worked with Iraq to counter Iranian influence in the region and to defeat ISIS. But even as we partner with Iraq, the AUMFs have remained on the books, allowing a president to justify military action in Iraq without coming to Congress to seek legal authorization. Presidents of both parties have used the Iraq AUMFs in this way to take additional military action without congressional approval.

There has always been a tug-of-war between the White House and Congress over war powers. The Constitution gives the power to declare war to Congress and then vests the power to execute war in the president as commander-in-chief. But the framers recognized that the president could defend the U.S. from ongoing or imminent attack, even without congressional approval. Since our nation's early days, there has been continuous debate over which circumstances permit a president to act unilaterally.

But the wisdom of congressional responsibility here is profound. The framers recognized that global precedent put war powers in the executive's hands. They made the unusual decision to vest decisions of war and peace in the legislature, where transparent debate before the public by its elected representatives would illuminate the need for military action and weigh the costs in blood and treasure - before committing American troops to war.

In our view, Congresses controlled by both parties have long been guilty of ceding this responsibility to presidents. And presidents of both parties have zealously guarded their newfound power, further crowding the legislature out of the process.

A war vote is the toughest vote a member of Congress will ever take, as even a just and successful cause will bring suffering and death. So members of Congress have often allowed presidents to go it alone and avoided accountability for life-and-death decisions.

But confining the conversation to the White House Situation Room deprives the American people of the meaningful debate that should precede war. And it deprives our troops of the certainty that there is a national consensus behind their mission.

That's why we've worked so hard to repeal these outdated war authorizations. Congress needs to own its responsibility to authorize war - and also act to repeal war authorizations that are no longer necessary.

We are deeply grateful to all the veterans' organizations that helped us in this effort over many years. And we especially salute our Iraq War veterans, many of whom never felt the appreciation of their fellow Americans, as arguments over decisions made by our politicians obscured the bravery of those who served.

And we are grateful to President Trump for signing the repeal. As the bill was pending before the House of Representatives, his administration praised its "historic commitment to peace and ending 'forever wars.'" The American people are tired of forever wars and want their leaders to be wise and careful in their authorization of military action.