Witnesses Testify at House Hearing on AUMF and Article I Powers
Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
On Sept. 28, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on reforming the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. The hearing looked at the possible impact of reform on global counterterrorism operations that use the AUMF as a legal basis.
Four high-ranking executive branch officials were called to testify: Caroline Krass, general counsel at the Defense Department, Christopher Maier, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low intensity conflict at the Defense Department, Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of political affairs at the State Department, and Richard Visek, acting legal adviser at the State Department.
All four witness testimonies focused on the use of the 2001 AUMF for combatting terrorism around the world. Krass and Maier’s joint testimony details the use of the 2001 AUMF as “the foundational legal basis for our continuing military operations against al-Qa’ida and associated forces, including against ISIS.” Nuland’s testimony reflects the Biden administration's support of “congressional efforts to update this law to reflect the realities of the current threat landscape.”
Find Krass and Maier’s joint testimony here or below
Find Nuland’s testimony here or below.
Find Visek’s testimony here or below.
