I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2324 

To repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2013 

Mr. SCHIFF introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sunset to the Author5 ization for Use of Military Force Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) On September 11, 2001, the United States 

9 and its citizens were victims of the worst terrorist 

10 attacks in world history. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

2 

•HR 2324 IH

1 (2) The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks 

2 were planned, financed, and executed by al Qaeda, 

3 a terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden. 

4 (3) Al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan 

5 throughout the period leading up to the attacks, and 

6 the three previous attacks against United States tar7 gets, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 

8 1998 East Africa bombings, and the 2000 attack on 

9 the USS Cole, were planned by al Qaeda central. 

10 (4) From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban govern11 ment of Afghanistan knowingly harbored al Qaeda, 

12 and was complicit in its plots against the United 

13 States, and that al Qaeda, in turn, supported the 

14 Taliban, including sponsoring and training the elite 

15 Arab 55th Brigade of the Taliban Army. 

16 (5) Following the September 11, 2001, attacks 

17 Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Mili18 tary Force (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 

19 note) to provide the President with requisite author20 ization to use ‘‘force against those nations, organiza21 tions, or persons he determines planned, authorized, 

22 committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that oc23 curred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such or24 ganizations or persons, in order to prevent any fu25 ture acts of international terrorism against the 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

3 

•HR 2324 IH

1 United States by such nations, organizations or per2 sons’’. 

3 (6) Following passage of Public Law 107–40, 

4 and consistent with its purpose, the United States 

5 invaded Afghanistan, resulting in the toppling of the 

6 Taliban government and the routing of al Qaeda 

7 forces in the country. 

8 (7) Osama bin Laden and other senior al Qaeda 

9 leaders left Afghanistan in the wake of the United 

10 States invasion, with many fleeing to neighboring 

11 Pakistan. 

12 (8) Many of al Qaeda’s senior leaders, including 

13 Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu 

14 Yahya al-Libi, and Abu Hamza Rabia have either 

15 been killed or captured by United States forces in 

16 the years since the 2001 terrorist attacks. 

17 (9) Intelligence experts now describe al Qaeda’s 

18 core as largely decimated, and Director of National 

19 Intelligence James Clapper told Congress in early 

20 2013, that al Qaeda’s core had been so ‘‘degraded’’ 

21 that it is ‘‘probably unable to carry out complex, 

22 large-scale attacks in the West’’. 

23 (10) Congress never intended and did not au24 thorize a perpetual war. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

4 

•HR 2324 IH

1 (11) With the withdrawal of United States com2 bat troops from Afghanistan and the transition to 

3 Afghan national security forces at the end of 2014, 

4 Public Law 107–40, which was focused on the Sep5 tember 11th attacks and those directly responsible, 

6 will have largely served its purpose. 

7 (12) The homeland and the American people 

8 face new threats from individuals, entities, and orga9 nizations that may affiliate with al Qaeda, or share 

10 its ideology and its determination to attack Ameri11 cans, but which may not be connected to the Sep12 tember 11, 2001, attacks or those who carried them 

13 out to a degree sufficient to be covered by Public 

14 Law 107–40. 

15 (13) Even after the expiration of Public Law 

16 107–40, there is likely to remain the need to defend 

17 against specific networks of violent extremists, in18 cluding al Qaeda and its affiliates, that threaten the 

19 United States, and the Congress urges the President 

20 to work with the legislative branch to secure what21 ever new authorities may be required to meet the 

22 threat and comply with the Constitution, the War 

23 Powers Resolution, and the law of war. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

5 

•HR 2324 IH

1 SEC. 3. REPEAL OF AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY 

2 FORCE. 

3 Effective on December 31, 2014, the Authorization 

4 for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 

5 1541 note) is hereby repealed. 

Æ 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS