Rogers Speaks in Opposition of Repeal of 2002 Aumf

Washington, DC, June 17, 2021
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke on the House floor against the repeal of the 2002 AUMF.
Ranking Member Rogers' remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
I thank Ranking Member McCaul for yielding and for his leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is a bad deal for our national security and the safety of American servicemembers overseas.
Since the liberation of Iraq, the murderous Iranian regime has armed proxy organizations to kill Americans and innocent Iraqis.

Iran has armed proxy militias with small arms, mortars, rockets, and now sophisticated UAVs that can avoid base defenses.
The Obama and Trump administrations both used the 2002 AUMF to target terrorist threats originating from Iraq.
Threats like ISIS and militias backed by Iran have killed and injured American servicemembers and contractors.
This bill would repeal the 2002 AUMF and offer nothing in its place.
No authorization to mop up ISIS forces or whatever movement comes next.
No authorization to target Iranian proxies whose sole goal is to destabilize Iraq and kill Americans.
This bill only offers the illusion of withdrawal.
Like President Biden's failing Afghanistan strategy, it does nothing to change the reality on the ground in Iraq.
The threats we face today will remain.
And American commanders will be forced to face those threats with one fewer tool than they had the day before.
Repealing the 2002 AUMF without a replacement only undermines our national security.
It offers no real solution to the issues in the Middle East.
I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.