House members push tough AUMF bill; measure would expire after 5 years

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a bill that would give the president explicit authority to fight al Qaeda and the Islamic State — but the measure would expire after five years and would force Congress to routinely revisit U.S. military strategy.

The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) bill, offered as an amendment to the broader National Defense Authorization Act, is in some ways similar to a Senate version released earlier this year. Both would update the 2001 and 2002 measures that presidents of both parties have relied on to conduct counterterrorism efforts around the world, and each would give explicit power to the commander in chief to go after the Islamic State in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere.

But there are also key differences. Chief among them is the time frame; the Senate bill essentially would run indefinitely, simply giving Congress the ability to review the measure every four years and allowing them to intervene if they disapprove of how the president is managing the global war on terror.

The House bill, by contrast, would fully expire after five years, meaning Congress would have to act again or else presidential power to conduct military strikes would, in theory, run out.

“Congress last voted to authorize the use of military force in 2002, when ISIS didn’t even exist. The Constitution clearly gives Congress the power to authorize military action. This is why, I am calling on the House of Representatives to debate and vote on an updated authorization for the use of military force,” said Rep. Mike Coffman, Colorado Republican and a sponsor of the measure.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, Arizona Democrat, Rep. Don Bacon, Nebraska Republican, and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, California Democrat, also are pushing the bill, formally known as House Joint Resolution 118.

The bill would specifically authorize continued military action against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Supporters say the House version will help claw back power from the president, and would re-establish Congress’s role in determining when, where, and how America goes to war.

“Congress needs to reassert its authority and provide our servicemen and women the guidance they need to pursue ISIS, al Qaeda, and the Taliban without exposing them to mission creep and fights that we didn’t sign them up for,” Mr. Gallego said. “At a time when we face a wide range of threats from across the globe, we cannot afford to cede authority for the use of military force to President Trump or any future president. We owe this guidance and accountability to our service members and the American people.”