Maine Congressman Jared Golden and a bipartisan congressional group are calling for repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUFM) that was passed in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. Golden, who represents Maine's 2nd District, says that during two decades of constant warfare in the Middle East, presidents of both political parties have stretched the act's standards to justify what he calls
"tenuously-related" military action.
"Clearly there's still a transnational threat, an international terrorist threat [while] our soldiers are deployed, and we wouldn't want to get in the way of that," he says. "That's important for our defense, but we think that Congress should have one that is up-to-date and specific so that they have a clear purpose and mission."
Golden joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle in a Washington Post op-ed last week calling for renewed debate on the issue. The group also included Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican who recently became an independent after calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment.