Senate seeks new military authorization agreement

A pair of bipartisan senators introduced a measure today that authorizes the use of force against three non-state terror groups: ISIS, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. The new Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) also requires the White House to submit regular reports to Congress about its strategy to defend the United States from terror attacks. Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Time Kaine, D-Va., introduced a similar AUMF two years ago, but it never got traction among lawmakers. The White House has used war resolutions Congress passed in 2001 to 2002 to conduct military strikes in the Middle East—which Flake and Kaine said are long past due for an update. “When I voted in 2001 to authorize military force against the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks, I had no idea I would be authorizing armed conflict for more than 15 years and counting,” Flake said. The new AUMF will need to undergo markups and clear votes within the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees before full consideration.

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