Today’s Action: Stop Trump from attacking Iran – and repeal the AUMF

It’s crystal clear that the hawks in the Trump regime want war with Iran and have taken every step to manufacture and escalate the conditions to justify it. That began with Trump’s choice to violate the Iran Nuclear Deal of 2015 by imposing sanctions on Iran, despite Iran’s full compliance with the terms of the deal and the deal’s benefit to the U.S. and our allies. This disturbing truth is made all the more dire by the fact that Trump has the legal authority to launch us into war with Iran, thanks to the AUMF.

On September 14th, 2001, Congress issued the AUMF (Authorization for Use of Military Force), which gave then-President Bush the ability to use force against nations, organizations, or people he determined were in any way involved in the September 11th attacks. For the last 18 years, in practice, that has meant that the president can direct the United States into war with any one at any time without congressional approval.

Trump is using flimsy statements that Iran is connected to groups that arose in the aftermath of Sept 11, and he’s gaining support for a war thanks to his warmongering actions. Iran’s forces were not involved in the September 11 attacks – period – nor are they members of the groups the U.S. has been fighting since that time. There is no link or justification for Trump using the AUMF to skip Congressional declaration of war…and there’s no reason for Congress to declare war.

Last week, the House voted repeal the AUMF without a single Republican vote. It is unlikely to even come up for a vote in Mitch McConnell’s Republican Senate — unless we can create so much pressure that he is left with no choice.

Call or email your Senators and demand they 1) speak out and vote against any war with Iran and 2) repeal the AUMF before Trump singularly forces us into war. Place the power to declare war back into the hands of Congress, where it constitutionally belongs.

Presidents Bush and Obama used the AUMF at least 37 times in 14 countries to justify military force, often against groups that did not even exist on September 11th. Trump is using AUMF to keep troops in Syria and Iraq indefinitely — also uninvolved in the 9/11 attacks. With Trump carrying on, we can now confirm that the AUMF has been used to invade at least 19 countries since 2001.

19 countries, and Iran would make 20…and yet 80% of our current Congress has never cast a vote to allow the United States to enter war. For the sake of Iran – and future countries we want to keep off this list – it’s clear the AUMF has outlived its original intent and needs go to. And, we need our lawmakers to understand we don’t want a Trump war under ANY circumstances, including one they do vote for.

Email or call (202.224.3121) your Senators and tell them to take back their power to declare war by repealing of AUMF…and then to vote AGAINST any war with Iran. Tell them you are completely opposed to Trump’s attempt to push us into war with Iran, and they should be too.