#aumf

Connor Echols in Responsible Statecraft. 20 years after Iraq War vote, Barbara Lee is fighting to end the War on Terror

Alright, this post is going to be a bit different from my typical poetry. I was high and bored and I wrote a political song parody. I can’t sing it, but here are the lyrics:

(Original Song: “A Part of Your World” by Jodi Bensen from Disney’s The Little Mermaid)

Look at this empire Isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my dominion's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the one The one who runs ev'rything? Look at my wars Soldiers on tour How many laws can one country ignore? You see me do it and think Sure, I run everything

I've done invasion and regime change aplenty Few have killed unarmed civilians more You want CIA coups? Mine exceed twenty I don't care Let's keep it real I'll do more

I want to be where the resources are I want to take Want to take their oil Strikin' down with those Whad'ya call 'em? Oh -drones Stand up to me you won't get too far Guns are required to protect your oil I'll get you some but not for What's that word again? free

Up at the top Second to none Where the brave wave my flag in the sun Submit to me Know I will be In charge of your world

What would you give If I let you live Outta this slaughter? What would you pay To win the day Seizing enemy land? Bet on my plan If you understand Flies make no demands of the swatter Blank check spending World bank lending As empire expands

There are things I know you don't need to know Don't ask me questions You won't get answers What's a FOIA and what does it What's the word? learn?

Have no concern Freedom I love Love to be free to rule from above Submit to me Know I will be In charge of your world

“A rising generation of Americans has never known peace.

Very soon, in Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria or Somalia or Libya or perhaps elsewhere, an 18-year-old man or woman will be deployed by the United States military to risk his or her life in a War on Terror that began before they were even born.

Already, every single spring, roughly 3.5 million high-school graduates reach adulthood with no memory of a time when their country wasn’t waging multiple wars.

This undemocratic Forever War is a civic disaster.

Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (cc by-sa 2.0)

The United States Senate voted Wednesday to kill an amendment by Sen. Rand Paul that would have repealed the 14-year and 16-year-old Authorizations of Use of Military Force in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have been used by three different Presidents to launch wars in seven countries without the constitutionally-required approval of Congress.

Had the amendment been passed, the Senate could take up debate on the wars in those two countries and adopt new strategies and goals.

“Today’s vote can be seen as a proxy vote for the Constitution. Today’s vote is not really a vote for or against any particular war,” said Paul before the vote. “Today’s vote is simply a vote on whether we will obey the Constitution. Today’s vote is a vote on whether Congress will step up and do its job.”

The vote to kill Paul’s amendment and continue the wars without review or debate was 61-36.

Here’s how senators voted.

YEA (To kill Paul’s amendment): 61 Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Capito (R-WV) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Cassidy (R-LA) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Cortez Masto (D-NV) Cotton (R-AR) Crapo (R-ID) Cruz (R-TX) Daines (R-MT) Donnelly (D-IN) Enzi (R-WY) Ernst (R-IA) Fischer (R-NE) Flake (R-AZ) Gardner (R-CO) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hassan (D-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hoeven (R-ND) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johnson (R-WI) Kennedy (R-LA) Lankford (R-OK) Manchin (D-WV) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS) Murkowski (R-AK) Perdue (R-GA) Portman (R-OH) Reed (D-RI) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rounds (R-SD) Sasse (R-NE) Schatz (D-HI) Scott (R-SC) Shaheen (D-NH) Shelby (R-AL) Stabenow (D-MI) Strange (R-AL) Sullivan (R-AK) Thune (R-SD) Tillis (R-NC) Toomey (R-PA) Warner (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wicker (R-MS) Young (R-IN)

NAY (To not kill the amendment): 36 Baldwin (D-WI) Bennet (D-CO) Blumenthal (D-CT) Booker (D-NJ) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Coons (D-DE) Duckworth (D-IL) Durbin (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Harris (D-CA) Heinrich (D-NM) Heitkamp (D-ND) Heller (R-NV) Hirono (D-HI) Kaine (D-VA) King (I-ME) Klobuchar (D-MN) Leahy (D-VT) Lee (R-UT) Markey (D-MA) Merkley (D-OR) Murphy (D-CT) Murray (D-WA) Paul (R-KY) Peters (D-MI) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-NM) Van Hollen (D-MD) Warren (D-MA) Wyden (D-OR)

Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (cc by-sa 2.0)

The United States Senate voted Wednesday to kill an amendment by Sen. Rand Paul that would have repealed the 14-year and 16-year-old Authorizations of Use of Military Force in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have been used by three different Presidents to launch wars in seven countries without the constitutionally-required approval of Congress.

Had the amendment been passed, the Senate could take up debate on the wars in those two countries and adopt new strategies and goals.

“Today’s vote can be seen as a proxy vote for the Constitution. Today’s vote is not really a vote for or against any particular war,” said Paul before the vote. “Today’s vote is simply a vote on whether we will obey the Constitution. Today’s vote is a vote on whether Congress will step up and do its job.”

The vote to kill Paul’s amendment and continue the wars without review or debate was 61-36.

Here’s how senators voted.

YEA (To kill Paul’s amendment): 61 Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Blunt (R-MO) Boozman (R-AR) Burr (R-NC) Capito (R-WV) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Cassidy (R-LA) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Cortez Masto (D-NV) Cotton (R-AR) Crapo (R-ID) Cruz (R-TX) Daines (R-MT) Donnelly (D-IN) Enzi (R-WY) Ernst (R-IA) Fischer (R-NE) Flake (R-AZ) Gardner (R-CO) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hassan (D-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hoeven (R-ND) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johnson (R-WI) Kennedy (R-LA) Lankford (R-OK) Manchin (D-WV) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Moran (R-KS) Murkowski (R-AK) Perdue (R-GA) Portman (R-OH) Reed (D-RI) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Rounds (R-SD) Sasse (R-NE) Schatz (D-HI) Scott (R-SC) Shaheen (D-NH) Shelby (R-AL) Stabenow (D-MI) Strange (R-AL) Sullivan (R-AK) Thune (R-SD) Tillis (R-NC) Toomey (R-PA) Warner (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wicker (R-MS) Young (R-IN)

NAY (To not kill the amendment): 36 Baldwin (D-WI) Bennet (D-CO) Blumenthal (D-CT) Booker (D-NJ) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Coons (D-DE) Duckworth (D-IL) Durbin (D-IL) Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Harris (D-CA) Heinrich (D-NM) Heitkamp (D-ND) Heller (R-NV) Hirono (D-HI) Kaine (D-VA) King (I-ME) Klobuchar (D-MN) Leahy (D-VT) Lee (R-UT) Markey (D-MA) Merkley (D-OR) Murphy (D-CT) Murray (D-WA) Paul (R-KY) Peters (D-MI) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-NM) Van Hollen (D-MD) Warren (D-MA) Wyden (D-OR)