Repealing the Authorizations for Use of Military Force Against Iraq--

Floor Speech

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

The bill that is on the floor is the effort to repeal authorizations for war against Iraq that were passed by this body in 1991 and 2002. These are not Iran authorizations. Iran and Iraq are not the same nation. The wars against Iraq are over, and we need to repeal these.

This morning, in the Armed Services Committee, we heard from General Austin. He talked about his visit to Iraq. He was there when we were fighting against them as an adversary. Now they are a strategic partner in the region against nonstate terrorists and against Iranian aggression. They are an ally and a partner.

Senator Cruz's amendment does restate article II powers in part of the findings in a way that I don't find objectionable; but then in another part of the amendment, it goes on to authorize affirmative military action by the United States against the nation of Iran.

Iran is a bad actor and is getting worse--I don't disagree with that--but if what we need is a debate about a war authorization with Iran, we shouldn't do it on the basis of a 1-minute amendment offered on the floor of the Senate. That is how we got into this problem in the first place. The Iraq authorization in 2002 was considered in the Senate for 1 day, with no committee proceeding. There were five amendments in 1 day, and we went into a war that most would agree was one of the worst blunders strategically that this body has made. Let's not rush into a war authorization with Iran. If there needs to be military authorities to take offensive action against Iran, let's, at least, give it the dignity of a debate--a full debate--and not a 1- minute amendment vote.

Finally, this amendment is opposed by groups all over the political spectrum, from Concerned Veterans for America to the Friends Committee on National Legislation to the American Legion, because they don't think we should be rushing into war. Iran and its challenging activity and aggression warrant some significant attention, not a 1-minute amendment vote on a bill that it is not related to.

I urge opposition to the amendment.

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I respect my Armed Services colleague from Alaska, but I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Iraq is not Iran. The bill that is on the floor is to repeal war authorizations voted on by this body against Iraq in 1991 and 2002. Iraq is not Iran.

The President of the United States has sent two messages to this body saying that the repeal of the Iraq war authorizations are necessary because Iraq is now a partner of the United States and that the repeal will neither jeopardize any current military operation, make the United States less safe, or take options away from the President to defend against Iranian aggression.

The certification has been given by the President. This is a bill that would ask one of his subordinates, who has been available to talk to any of us by phone in the 2 weeks this bill has been on the table-- it would basically say: OK, Mr. President, you said this, but we want to hear from one of your subordinates.

Avril Haines has been available to talk to any Member of this Senate in the 2 weeks this bill has been on the floor. The President has indicated this would not jeopardize our ability to defend against the activities of Iran-backed militias. We should not conflate Iraq, now a partner of the United States, with Iran, an adversary of the United States.

I urge a ``no'' vote.

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I don't have an objection to the notion that the funds we are spending together in Ukraine should have careful analysis. We know from past experience, if there is not that careful analysis done, there could be problems. This is not the bill to do it.

When we do war authorizations, we don't put other amendments on, no matter how good they might be, if they are extraneous to the war authorization. The 1991 and 2002 war authorizations did not include additional items, no matter how meritorious they might have been.

So while this idea is an idea that I think people can gravitate toward, I think this is the wrong bill, the wrong vehicle, to insert something about Ukraine into this repeal of the Iraq war authorizations.

We have not done a repeal for 52 years. The authorizations themselves were clean authorizations.

I would urge a ``no'' vote so that the repeal, when we vote on it tomorrow, will be a clean repeal. I would urge my colleagues to vote no.

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