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Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter

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Defense &
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The Big Story

House passes defense policy bill with proposal to repeal AUMF

The House on Wednesday voted to pass its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, with a bipartisan amendment to repeal the two laws authorizing the use of military force (AUMF) in Iraq.

The legislation, which authorizes funding and sets policy for the U.S. military, passed 231 to 196. Four Republicans voted in opposition of the bill while 17 Democrats joined the rest of the GOP in voting in for it.

The AUMF amendment, part of nearly two dozen amendments added in a series of votes, would repeal the 2002 Iraq War and 1991 Gulf War authorizations as well as make it more difficult for presidents to bypass Congress on military actions.

Lawmakers voted 261 to 167 to pull the AUMFs, which critics say have been abused by presidents as they grant the commander-in-chief authority to use military force without issuing a formal declaration of war. All Democrats voted in support of the amendment, joined by 49 Republicans—about one-fifth of the GOP lawmakers.

Presidents routinely use AUMFs to legally justify military action, with President Trump relying on the 2002 AUMF, which sanctioned the United States’s invasion of Iraq, to authorize a fatal strike on Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

The vote came after three members of the House Freedom Caucus – Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) – on Tuesday broke with Republican leaders in the House Rules Committee.

The three voted in favor of a motion from Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, to allow a vote on the amendment.

A bill to repeal the 2002 AUMF last passed the House in 2021, while a bill to repeal both the 2002 and 1991 authorizations passed the Senate in 2023.

The AUMF proposal was among the most contentious amendments included in the NDAA, which has a topline of $892.6 billion.

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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Essential Reads

How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future:

Defense bill could loosen restrictions on Pentagon’s use of toxic ‘forever chemicals’

Provisions in the House and Senate annual Defense authorization bills reduce restrictions on the Pentagon’s use of “forever chemicals.” In the House, one such provision is generating pushback even from Republicans. “Forever chemicals” are the nickname for a family of human-made chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, which have been linked to health issues, including cancer, have …

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Tuberville blocks measure to prevent Babbitt from receiving military funeral honors

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on Wednesday blocked a measure seeking to prevent Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt from receiving military funeral honors. The Alabama Republican objected to Sen. Ruben Gallego’s (D-Ariz.) request for unanimous consent on his resolution, which he submitted earlier Wednesday. “This resolution is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to strip away the earned honors of a veteran who deployed seven times …

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Graham pushes Trump on Russia sanctions after ‘Here we go!’ post

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pushed for sanctions on Russia in the wake of its drones violating Polish airspace on Wednesday. Graham’s urgings come after President Trump said, “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” on Truth Social Wednesday. “Mr. President, Congress is with you,” Graham said on X, with a screenshot of President Trump’s reaction to the incident on …

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In Other News

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

Evanston mayor: Trump administration ‘wants to keep us guessing’ on ICE operations

The mayor of Evanston, Ill., Daniel Biss, claimed Monday the Trump administration “wants to keep us guessing” on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched an immigration crackdown aimed at Chicago. “I know you’ve just warned your …

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On Our Radar

Upcoming things we’re watching in and around the defense world:

The Pentagon will hold a 9-11 observance ceremony with President Trump at 8:50 a.m. tomorrow.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Marine Gen. Christopher Mahoney to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow.

What We’re Reading

News we’ve flagged from other outlets:

National Guard documents show public ‘fear,’ veterans’ ‘shame’ over D.C. presence (The Washington Post)
Trump’s strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat raises questions about his use of military power (The Associated Press)