II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 526 

To sunset the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force after three 

years. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2015 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. MURPHY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To sunset the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force 

after three years. 

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 of the 2001 

5 Authorization for Use of Military Force Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

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

9 and its citizens were victims of the worst terrorist 

10 attacks in world history. 


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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 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 


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

3 (6) Congress never intended and did not au4 thorize a perpetual war. 

5 (7) With the withdrawal of United States com6 bat troops from Afghanistan and the transition to 

7 Afghan national security forces at the end of 2014, 

8 the Authorization for Use of Military Force, which 

9 was focused on the September 11th attacks and 

10 those directly responsible, will have largely served its 

11 purpose. 

12 (8) The homeland and the American people face 

13 new threats from individuals, entities, and organiza14 tions that may affiliate with al Qaeda, or share its 

15 ideology and its determination to attack Americans, 

16 but which may not be connected to the September 

17 11, 2001, attacks or those who carried them out to 

18 a degree sufficient to be covered by the Authoriza19 tion for Use of Military Force. 

20 (9) Even after the expiration of the Authoriza21 tion for Use of Military Force, there is likely to re22 main the need to defend against specific networks of 

23 violent extremists, including al Qaeda and its affili24 ates, that threaten the United States, and the Presi25 dent must work with the legislative branch to secure 


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1 whatever new authorities may be required to meet 

2 the threat and comply with the Constitution and the 

3 War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.). 

4 SEC. 3. SUNSET OF 2001 AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILI5 TARY FORCE. 

6 The Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public 

7 Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) shall terminate on the 

8 date that is three years after the date of the enactment 

9 of this Act, unless reauthorized. 

Æ 


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