“An America First military policy means military action to defend our homeland … It does not mean setting up an occupying army or wasting billions of dollars “rebuilding” foreign countries.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 256, a bill that repealed the authorization to use military force (AUMF) in Iraq that was initially passed by Congress in 2002, predicated on misrepresentations by the State Department about weapons of mass destruction. The vote passed 268-161.

Congressman Gosar stated, “It is unprecedented, and should never happen again, where the United States’ military has an almost 20-year authorization for war. Our military should be used to effectively neutralize enemies quickly, and then return to the home base. There was no reason to keep our troops in harm’s way for a generation, long after the active military campaign had ended. I look forward to ending additional authorizations of force that should have been terminated years ago. An America First military policy means military action to defend our homeland, and only for as long as is necessary. It does not mean setting up an occupying army or wasting billions of dollars “rebuilding” foreign countries or worse, attempting to impose Jeffersonian democracy on cultures and lands that do not share those values.”

Background: H.R. 256 was sponsored by California Democrat Representative Barbara Lee, who initially voted against this AUMF in 2002.