17 September 2001Text: Congress Authorizes President to Use All Necessary Force
(Congressional resolution approved September 14) (490) The U.S. Congress September 14 approved a resolution authorizing President Bush to use "all necessary and appropriate force" against those responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. The U.S. Senate voted 98-0 for the resolution, and the House of Representatives voted 420-1 later that night. U.S. Representative Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, voted against the measure. The resolution authorizing the use of military force is based on provisions in the 1973 War Powers Resolution that give the president limited authority to use military force in specified situations, but requires congressional authority to expand action into a full-scale war. The U.S. Congress has not approved a declaration of war since the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. (begin text) [U.S. Congress Washington, D.C. September 15] Text of the joint resolution authorizing the use of force against terrorists, adopted Friday by the Senate: To authorize the use of United States armed forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States. Whereas, on Sept. 11, 2001, acts of despicable violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad, and Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence, and Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, Whereas the president has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States. Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Section 1. Short Title This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Authorization for Use of Military Force'' Section 2. Authorization for Use of United States Armed Forces (a) In General -- That the president is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons. (b) War Powers Resolution Requirements (1) Specific Statutory Authorization -- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution. (2) Applicability of Other Requirements -- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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