“The airstrikes in Syria last week show that the executive, regardless of the party, will continue to expand its war forces,” Kaine said. “Congress has the responsibility to not only vote to authorize new military action, but to revoke old authorization that is no longer needed.”
Congress largely relinquished its constitutional authority to declare war, and presidents of both parties used outdated authority to legitimize U.S. military action – including, and perhaps most notably, the 2001 use of military force against al Qaeda and the Taliban approved in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. However, the Kaine-Young bill only deals with the 1991 and 2002 measures, which are aimed entirely at Iraq.
The outdated authorizations, for example, have been used to provide legal coverage to U.S. military operations throughout the region, including those targeting ISIS and other jihadist auctioneers in the region.
“Congress is working on an ATM when it comes to our essential duties to authorize the use of military force,” Young said. “The fact that the authorities are still legal for both of these wars today is an illustration of the dual failure of Congress to implement its constitutional mandates.”
Senators from across the ideological spectrum on Wednesday signed the co-sponsors of the Kaine-Young bill, including sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chris Coons (D-Del.) And Chuck. Grassley (R-Iowa).
Kaine and Young have made similar efforts in the past, but Biden’s airstrikes in Syria have breathed new life into their push. Lawmakers have expressed concern about the possibility of a direct use of military force that could lead to a full-blown US-Iran war, with delegates in the region long targeted U.S. outposts.
New Syria strikes Congress
Biden angered Congress Democrats when he launched airstrikes on Iran-backed military installations in Syria, with lawmakers lamenting that the White House did not consult with Congress in advance and did not properly notify them of the strikes.
The White House said Biden had ordered the attacks in retaliation for Iran – backed militia groups that had launched similar strikes against US forces in recent weeks. Biden himself wrote in a letter to congressional leaders that he commands the strikes in ‘self-defense’.
Biden senior officials began informing Congress this week about the strikes in Syria, but they have yet to inform lawmakers directly. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Told POLITICO on Tuesday that he was sitting on a staff-level briefing because the government in Biden had yet to plan the sessions for senators.
Murphy said he was not happy with the White House’s reasoning for the strikes, adding: “I still need to be convinced that any president has the authority to retaliate, especially outside Iraq.”
Over the years, Kaine and Young have been one of the most outspoken lawmakers to criticize presidents of both parties for walking around Congress when ordering military operations in the Middle East.
Democrats are not only confronting Biden about his military might; They are also pressuring him to take additional actions to punish Saudi Arabia for the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. Biden’s government last week released a lengthy intelligence report in which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was blamed for approving the operation that killed Khashoggi, but the government did not want to impose immediate penalties on the crown prince.