A bipartisan amendment proposed by U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) to repeal the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq became law on Dec. 18 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026.
“It’s time to close the book on these forever wars once and for all,” Sen. Young said. “This is an important step of what I like to call legislative hygiene, for Congress to formally end these two wars.”
Senate Amendment 3337, which Sen. Young and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced in October, repeals the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs) against Iraq.
The amendment was Included in the NDAA, S. 1071, which President Trump signed into law on Dec. 18.
The 1991 and 2002 AUMFs are no longer necessary and leaving them on the books posed the risk of potential misuse, according to Sen. Young.
“I want to thank my congressional colleagues and President Trump for supporting this legislation and specifically thank Sen. Kaine for his partnership on this effort for many years,” he added. “Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of the men and women who served in these two conflicts. We honor your service and sacrifice.”
Sen. Kaine said the repeal of the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs against Iraq — the first repeal of an authorization in more than 50 years — is historic.
“It allows the American people, including the generations of service members who served in Iraq, to finally close the book on this part of our nation’s history,” said Sen. Kaine. “There have been too many instances of Congress abdicating its role in matters of war and peace, but the repeal of these AUMFs is a significant step forward in reclaiming our solemn constitutional responsibility and saying no to forever endless wars.”