March 13, 2018

Military Families Speak Out urges all members on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to move HR Bill 1229 (Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force) out of the committee and into the House of Representatives for a full vote. Military Families Speak Out is a national organization made up of families that have loved ones in the military since 9-11. This bill is of utmost importance to our families because the AUMF has been the legal authority used to justify sending our families to fight in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and anywhere else in the world without first getting any new authorization from members of congress. We urge you to co-sponsor the bill and get the repeal of the AUMF out of committee for the following reasons: 

• The AUMF has been the legal authority used to justify our continued presence in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Congress has failed in its constitutional responsibility to vote to authorize the use of military force for over 16 years. 
• The AUMF had expanded the president’s power to use military force anywhere in the world and has reduced congressional oversight
• It is extremely dangerous to allow the current 2001 AUMF to be the final say for allowing armed conflict. New wars, such as in Niger or even war with N. Korea is under consideration and could be justified under the AUMF. 
• The War Powers Act of 1973 is a federal law that was intended to check the power of the president so that troops can only be committed to armed conflict if congress can declare war. A constitutional crisis has been brewing while the AUMF repeal bill sits in committee, 
• The AUMF has no time or geographic distinctions and three presidential administrations have refused to step forward to get an approval for wars that have killed thousands of our troops, caused endless suffering and resulted in the killing of well over a million innocent civilians, mostly women and children.
• With no credible information of why military force is being used it is imperative that Congress vote on the AUMF. 
• It is our families who pay the price for wars. We are at the front lines making the sacrifices of America’s most treasured resources. 

It is our military men and women, their families, and innocent civilians involved in these many conflicts, who have suffered most.   

It’s time for Congress to show some courage and do its constitutional duty to debate and then vote on the authorization of war.  It is the least they can do when asking our military men and women to put their lives on the line.    

Pat Alviso

National Coordinator

Military Families Speak Out

P.O. Box 4193

Seal Beach, CA 90740