-Six

A RESOLUTION urging New Hampshire's congressional delegation to support the repeal of the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force.

Whereas, the United States Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 (2001 AUMF), Public Law 107-40, passed on September 14, 2001, to authorize military action against those responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;

Whereas, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (2002 AUMF), Public Law 107-243, passed on October 10, 2002, to authorize military action against the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq;

Whereas, these authorizations have been used by multiple administrations over more than 2 decades to justify military operations across numerous countries, far beyond their original intent, resulting in prolonged conflicts often referred to as "forever wars";

Whereas, the 2001 AUMF has been cited to authorize military actions in at least 22 countries, despite its original purpose being limited to targeting al-Qaeda and associated forces, and lacks a sunset provision, allowing its indefinite use;

Whereas, the primary targets of the 2001 AUMF, including al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, killed in 2011, and his successor Ayman al-Zawahiri, killed in 2022, have been eliminated, rendering the original justification for the authorization largely obsolete;

Whereas, the 2002 AUMF, intended to address threats from the Saddam Hussein regime, is obsolete following the conclusion of the Iraq War in 2011, yet remains on the books, creating the potential for misuse, as evidenced by its invocation in actions such as the 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and United States involvement in the Syrian civil war;

Whereas, Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution vests Congress with the sole authority to declare war, and the prolonged reliance on outdated AUMFs undermines Congress's constitutional responsibility to deliberate and authorize military actions;

Whereas, there is broad bipartisan support in Congress for repealing the 2002 AUMF, as demonstrated by the United States House of Representatives' passage of H.R. 256 in 2021 by a vote of 268-161, and the United States Senate's passage of S. 316 in 2023 by a vote of 66-30 to repeal both the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs; and

Whereas, the people of New Hampshire value peace, constitutional governance, and the responsible use of military force, and oppose the perpetuation of open-ended military engagements without regular congressional review and approval;

Whereas, repealing the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs would reassert Congress' constitutional authority, ensure military actions align with current national security needs, and honor the sacrifices of United States service members by requiring deliberate legislative approval for future conflicts; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the New Hampshire house of representatives urges the New Hampshire federal delegation, including Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Representatives Christopher Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, to actively support and co-sponsor legislation in Congress to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 Public Law 107-40, and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, Public Law 107-243.

That copies of this resolution be transmitted by the house clerk to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and each member of the New Hampshire federal delegation.

-Six

A RESOLUTION urging New Hampshire's congressional delegation to support the repeal of the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force.

Whereas, the United States Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 (2001 AUMF), Public Law 107-40, passed on September 14, 2001, to authorize military action against those responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks;

Whereas, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (2002 AUMF), Public Law 107-243, passed on October 10, 2002, to authorize military action against the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq;

Whereas, these authorizations have been used by multiple administrations over more than 2 decades to justify military operations across numerous countries, far beyond their original intent, resulting in prolonged conflicts often referred to as "forever wars";

Whereas, the 2001 AUMF has been cited to authorize military actions in at least 22 countries, despite its original purpose being limited to targeting al-Qaeda and associated forces, and lacks a sunset provision, allowing its indefinite use;

Whereas, the primary targets of the 2001 AUMF, including al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, killed in 2011, and his successor Ayman al-Zawahiri, killed in 2022, have been eliminated, rendering the original justification for the authorization largely obsolete;

Whereas, the 2002 AUMF, intended to address threats from the Saddam Hussein regime, is obsolete following the conclusion of the Iraq War in 2011, yet remains on the books, creating the potential for misuse, as evidenced by its invocation in actions such as the 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and United States involvement in the Syrian civil war;

Whereas, Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution vests Congress with the sole authority to declare war, and the prolonged reliance on outdated AUMFs undermines Congress's constitutional responsibility to deliberate and authorize military actions;

Whereas, there is broad bipartisan support in Congress for repealing the 2002 AUMF, as demonstrated by the United States House of Representatives' passage of H.R. 256 in 2021 by a vote of 268-161, and the United States Senate's passage of S. 316 in 2023 by a vote of 66-30 to repeal both the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs; and

Whereas, the people of New Hampshire value peace, constitutional governance, and the responsible use of military force, and oppose the perpetuation of open-ended military engagements without regular congressional review and approval;

Whereas, repealing the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs would reassert Congress' constitutional authority, ensure military actions align with current national security needs, and honor the sacrifices of United States service members by requiring deliberate legislative approval for future conflicts; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the New Hampshire house of representatives urges the New Hampshire federal delegation, including Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Representatives Christopher Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, to actively support and co-sponsor legislation in Congress to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 Public Law 107-40, and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, Public Law 107-243.

That copies of this resolution be transmitted by the house clerk to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and each member of the New Hampshire federal delegation.