House votes to repeal 1957, 1991 war authorizations

The House voted to repeal a pair of decades-old war authorizations on Tuesday amid a push within Congress to re-enact limits on presidential war powers.

"Today, we have another opportunity to demonstrate that Congress is serious about reclaiming Congressional War Powers — and serious about representing the servicemembers and veterans who have served our country," Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., said in a floor speech ahead of the vote. "Too often, they have served under authorities that were signed into law decades previously." The push to repeal the authorizations drew bipartisan support in the House. Earlier this month, House lawmakers voted to repeal a 2002 authorization issued ahead of the second Iraq war. That vote drew some opposition from Republican lawmakers who expressed concern that the move could embolden militia groups active in the region. The latest vote on the 1991 and 1957 authorizations occurred just days after President Biden ordered airstrikes against Iran-linked militia groups near the Iraq-Syria border. Biden did not cite an authorization for use of military force in ordering the strikes.