More than two decades later, the U.S. Congress is on the verge of writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq.
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday (October 9, 2025) to repeal the resolution that authorised the 2003 U.S. invasion, following a House vote last month that would return the basic war power to the Congress.
The amendment by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat, and Indiana Senator Todd Young, a Republican, was approved by a voice vote on an annual defence authorisation Bill that passed the Senate late Thursday (October 9, 2025) — a unanimous endorsement for ending the war that many now view as a mistake.
Twenty years on, reflection and regret on 2002 Iraq war vote
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Iraqi deaths were estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 U.S. troops were killed in the war after the then U.S. President George W. Bush's administration falsely claimed that the then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.
“That’s the way the war ends, not with a bang but a whimper,” Mr. Kaine said after the vote, which lasted only a few seconds with no debate and no objections. Still, he said, “America is forever changed by those wars, and the Middle East too.” Supporters in both the House and the Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner with the United States.
The House added a similar amendment to its version of the defence measure in September 2025, meaning the repeal is likely to end up in the final Bill once the two chambers reconcile the two pieces of legislation. Both Bills repeal the 1991 authorisation that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War.
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While Congress appears poised to pass the repeal, it is unclear whether President Donald Trump will support it. During his first term, his administration cited the 2002 Iraq resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassim Soleimani. It has otherwise been rarely used.
Mr. Young said after the vote that he thinks Mr. Trump should “take great pride” in signing the Bill after campaigning on ending the so-called “forever wars”, especially because he would be the first President in recent history to legally end a longstanding war. He said the vote establishes an important precedent.
“Congress is now very clearly asserting that it is our prerogative and our responsibility not only to authorise but also to bring to an end military conflicts,” Mr. Young said.
How real is the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq?
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The bipartisan vote, added to the larger bipartisan defence measure, came amid a bitter partisan standoff over a weeklong government shutdown. Mr. Young said the quick vote was an “extraordinary moment” that he hopes “will help some people see that we can still do consequential things in the U.S. Congress.” The Senate also voted to repeal the 2002 resolution two years ago on a 66-30 vote. While some Republicans privately told Mr. Kaine that they were still opposed to the measure, none objected to the unanimous vote on the floor on Thursday (October 9, 2025) evening.
A separate 2001 authorisation for the global war on terror would remain in place under the Bill. While the 2002 and 1991 resolutions are rarely used and focussed on just one country, Iraq, the 2001 measure gave the then President George W. Bush broad authority for the invasion of Afghanistan, approving force “against those nations, organisations, or persons” that planned or aided the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Passed in September 2001, it has been used in recent years to justify U.S. military action against groups — including al-Qaida and its affiliates, such as the Islamic State group and al-Shabab — that are deemed to be a threat against America. |
