Congresswoman Barbara Lee also introduced three additional amendments to the Defense Appropriations bill during the full committee mark-up.

One amendment would repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). In 2001, Congresswoman Lee was the lone vote in opposition to this war authorization. According to a 2013 Congressional Research Services (CRS) report, this AUMF has been publicly used more than 30 times to justify troop deployments and other actions including detentions at Guantanamo Bay and warrantless wiretaps.

“The 2001 AUMF is a blank check for endless war. It is an abdication of Congress’s constitutional responsibility to give the American people a voice on matters of war and peace,” said Congresswoman Lee. “Currently, any President can wage war in any place, at any time against nearly any enemy without Congressional oversight or debate. The American people deserve a voice in deciding whether or not our country goes to war.”