For more than two decades, the executive branch has relied primarily on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to conduct military operations against an array of non-state groups in more than half a dozen countries around the world. While initially crafted as a limited authorization targeting only on those responsible for the 9/11 attacks and those who harbored them (al-Qaeda and the Taliban), successive presidential administrations on both sides of the aisle have drastically expanded the scope of this law.
The 2001 AUMF has been used to justify wars against groups that Congress never intended. These groups include many “associated forces” and “successor entities” of al-Qaeda, despite these terms appearing nowhere in the text of the AUMF. The result has been a unilateral usurpation of Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war, with the president — not Congress — determining who the United States goes to war with.
This resource provides an overview of all AUMFs passed throughout the history of the United States of America, including the specific limits placed on them by Congress.
This analysis of past AUMFs reveals that such authorizations have long possessed limited mechanisms to ensure that military force is only used as intended by Congress. As Congress continues to debate whether or how to revise the 2001 AUMF and considers future new AUMFs, we hope this resource will serve as a valuable tool and a reminder of the necessity of including clear limitations within all war authorizations.
