House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq war authorization

The US House of Representatives has passed a measure to repeal a 2002 law authorizing the president to use military force against Iraq.

Introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), the bill to repeal the authorization passed 268-161 with 49 Republicans joining a large majority of Democrats. Only one Democrat opposed the repeal.

The move marked rare progress on Democrats’ efforts to rein in broad authorizations granted to the presidency to fight the War on Terror following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) allowed the George W. Bush administration to circumvent the War Powers Act to conduct regime change against the government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.