Fifteen years later, CREDO Activists stand with Rep. Lee against endless war

On Sept. 14, 2001, Rep. Barbara Lee was the sole member of Congress to vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).

The vote was 420-1.

Since then, the AUMF has been used to enter into wars without knowing the costs or consequences, and frankly, it is dangerous. It is a blank check for war, and it is far past time we repealed it.

That’s why Rep. Lee launched a campaign on CREDOMobilize.com to tell Congress to stop the endless war and repeal the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs. Her petition reads:

Repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force – the flawed blank check that authorizes the president to wage war, anywhere at any time. It’s been fifteen years of endless war. Now is the time for the U.S. Congress to repeal the overly broad 2001 and 2002 AUMFs.

A recent declassified report to Congress from the Congressional Research Committee showed the AUMF being used 37 times in 14 countries. That report only shows the declassified activities, we can’t even begin to speculate on the classified uses. The AUMF has been used to justify activities, such as warrantless surveillance, indefinite detention and the lethal use of drones, which fly in the face of our constitutional values. It has been used to justify the operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.

Our country has engaged in new wars without Congress debating and determining the costs or consequences and without our troops really knowing and understanding whether or not we are behind them. We are sending our brave young men and women into harm’s way without congressional authorization.

Rep. Lee is convinced, and CREDO agrees, that open-ended military engagement with no end in sight actually undermines our long-term national security. It does not increase peace and security for the United States or on a global level. WATCH this video from CREDO in which Rep. Lee explains why it’s so crucial we repeal the AUMF now:

A public show of support for this effort is critical to send Congress a clear message that we cannot continue to issue a blank check for the executive branch to wage endless war. Go here to sign and share the petition.