Congressman Anthony Brown: It's Time To Ensure America's Full Array Of Foreign Policy Tools Are Used With Military Force As A Last Resort

Statement

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), a 30-year Army veteran and senior Black member on the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement praising President Joe Biden's announcement that he would work with Congress to repeal and reform outdated Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMFs):

"For too long, Congress has abdicated its Constitutional responsibilities by allowing wars to drag on for decades and combat operations to expand with little oversight. We must work to repeal decades-old authorizations for the use of military force and replace them with a narrow and specific framework that will ensure we can address critical national security threats while preventing perpetual wars. We have an opportunity for genuine reform that is long overdue. Our missions must be authorized, defined and achievable. It's time to ensure America's full array of foreign policy tools are used to advance U.S. interests and national security, with military force as a last resort."

Congressman Brown led a 14 member bipartisan coalition last Congress to introduce the "Limit on the Expansion of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Act," which would reassert Congress' Constitutional role in the declaration of war. The legislation would provide new guardrails on the use of the 2001 AUMF, limiting existing authorization to countries with ongoing hostilities.

Congressman Brown joined Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks (NY-05), House Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern (MA-02) and House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (CA-28) in a letter to President Joe Biden on his first full day in office urging his support for repealing the outdated and overreaching Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs).

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