Obama’s War Authorization Request Runs Into a Brick Wall

Congress Starkly Divided on AUMF

Unveiling a draft authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIS on Wednesday, President Obama blundered pretty dramatically, turning what many expected would be an easy approval into a huge obstacle.

During his speech on the matter, President Obama claimed the AUMF was severely limited, and almost immediately lost the support of the hawkish leadership in Congress, particularly in the Senate, which want a hugely more bellicose war.

The bigger problem is that Obama was lying in the speech, and the White House press secretary tried to get the hawks back on board by admitting as much, saying the AUMF was deliberately vaguely worded to allow the president to unilaterally escalate as much as he wants.

Which brought out the antiwar opposition, with Rep. Adam Schiff (D – CA) leading a coalition of antiwar Democrats and Republicans who are also opposing the AUMF for giving the president carte blanche for war.

While some hawks might get back on board with the AUMF knowing the bill allows limitless escalation, many are likely to continue to object to it, wanting officials to be more overt about their hostile intentions for the region.

It’s time for a preemptive strike at the War Party’s congressional fortress. Please call your congressional representative today and urge them to vote no on the AUMF – because we can win this one. We stopped them last time when Obama decided it was time to bomb Syria. One by one members of Congress who were inclined to authorize that military campaign backed away when faced with a deluge of outraged calls from constituents. We can do it again – oh yes we can!

Please make that call today – because the future of this country, not to mention the peace of the world, depends on it.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.