Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Providing An Update On The Senate Moving Forward On Repeal Of The Authorizations For Use Of Military Force Against Iraq

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on filing cloture to put the Senate on the path to repeal the 2002 and 1991 Iraq AUMFs. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

A few moments ago, we entered into an agreement that puts the Senate on the path to repeal the Iraq AUMFs by early next week.

By filing cloture today, we set up a vote for this coming Monday.

If cloture is invoked, we will hold votes on additional amendments before final passage.

This has been a good process here on the floor. I was asked by several of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to have a reasonable amendment process, and then we could move the bill forward. I think we did, on a vote that got close to 70 total votes on cloture last week. We have 11 amendments and I think just about every Republican amendment that was asked for, as of today, was accommodated. And so this is a good thing and I hope it can be a model for the future.

We in the majority will allow amendments. Sometimes those votes are tough to take. But at the same time, the minority will not just be dilatory and allow us to move forward. That’s what happened this week on AUMF and I hope it portends good things to come as we work together to make this country even a better country.

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