Authorization for Use of Military Force (2001 AUMF)
🏛️ House of Representatives
420-1
🏛️ Senate
98-0
📝 Details
Only Barbara Lee (D-CA) voted no. 'Let us not become the evil we deplore.' Passed just 3 days after 9/11. This 60-word authorization has been used to justify military operations in at least 22 countries across 4 presidential administrations. Still in effect as of 2026 — the longest war authorization in American history.
📖 Historical Context
Three days after the September 11 attacks that killed 2,977 people, Congress authorized the president to use 'all necessary and appropriate force' against those who 'planned, authorized, committed, or aided' the attacks. The text is only 60 words long. It was passed in an atmosphere of grief, rage, and fear, with virtually no debate about its scope.
⚡ Consequences
The most consequential war vote since 1941. Used to justify: the Afghanistan invasion (2001), drone strikes in Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, Libya, and Syria, the ISIS campaign, operations in Niger, and special operations across Africa and the Middle East. Four presidents have wielded this authority. Barbara Lee's lone 'no' vote has been vindicated by history — she received death threats at the time.
👤 Key Figures
- ▸Barbara Lee (D-CA) — Sole 'no' vote in either chamber: 'Let us not become the evil we deplore'
- ▸George W. Bush — President who signed it 4 days after 9/11
- ▸Dennis Hastert (R-IL) — Speaker of the House
- ▸Tom Daschle (D-SD) — Senate Majority Leader