Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Scott Perry (PA-4) introduced the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) Against Islamist Extremism this week.  The bill would update the current authority of the Armed Forces to combat Islamist extremist organizations, such as ISIS. Specifically, Rep. Perry’s bill repeals the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, which authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and the regime of Saddam Hussein, respectively. President Obama and both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have called for a new AUMF. Rep. Perry believes Congress is long overdue in exercising its responsibility to authorize such military action and his legislation updates the defined enemy as the constantly-evolving set of groups inspired by a shared radical Islamist movement.

“Our military forces in Iraq and Syria currently operate under authorizations that became law in the aftermath of 9/11 nearly 15 years ago. We can all agree that we're fighting a very different enemy than Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq and the Osama bin Laden-led al Qaeda.

“For over a decade, the United States has been in armed conflict with Islamist terrorists. This agile and adaptive enemy, in a variety of organizations and forms, continues to wage war against the interests of both the U.S. and our Allies. My legislation takes into account the fact that this enemy can and does operate under the flag of al Qaeda one day, ISIS the next, and Boko Haram the day after that. As our enemy adapts, so must the legal authority by which we fight it."