Young Secures AUMF Hearing in Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Will Oppose AUMF Amendment to NDAA

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), today announced he has secured a commitment from SFRC Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to hold a hearing on the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) regarding the U.S. military taking action against Iran. Because Chairman Risch has agreed to hold the hearing, Senator Young will not support an amendment proposed by Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that would jeopardize passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – the annual military funding bill the Senate is debating this week.

“I share the concern of many of my colleagues about the role Congress must play in authorizing the use of military force. Rather than derailing the NDAA process and jeopardizing the many important provisions contained in it, I’ve requested that we have this conversation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chairman Risch has agreed. I will continue working closely with Chairman Risch and committee to staff to ensure this hearing is scheduled immediately,” said Senator Young. “As I have said repeatedly, we must stand firm on our maximum pressure campaign on Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, while also ensuring Congress fulfills its constitutionally mandated role to authorize the use of force.”

As a Marine, Senator Young has advocated for a new AUMF since coming to the Senate in January 2017. Senator Young introduced legislation to authorize the use of force against ISIS. He and Senator Kaine also introduced a bipartisan bill to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs for the Gulf and Iraq wars – 28 and 17 years after these AUMFs were first passed, reasserting Congress’ vital role in not only declaring wars, but in ending them.