Updating the AUMF–A Discussion

It is hardly a surprise that John Bellinger III is being attacked (here and here, for example) for his modest suggestion in the Washington Post the other day that Congress should update the AUMF. (Attacking the moderate and sensible Bellinger is a weird kind of cottage industry among lefty bloggers, but that’s an ugly story for another day.) Lawfare readers will not be surprised to learn that I find his proposal to be good, simple common sense. We have a war going on. We have a legal instrument authorizing that war that is growing by the day more attenuated in its description of the conflict. Logically, therefore, if we want to both authorize and cabin the war we are fighting, we should update the instrument.

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