GOP Rep. to Paul Ryan: Congress Needs War Authorization Debate

A longtime Republican congressman would like to see House Speaker Paul Ryan hold a debate on whether Congress should vote to authorize war.

The Hill reported that Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., sent a letter to Ryan on the matter.

"Members of Congress have written to [former House speaker John Boehner] and yourself over 13 times regarding the need for debate on the authorization for the use of military force in Afghanistan," Jones wrote.

"Despite repeated calls for action, nothing has happened. You, sir, are the leader of the House and you are responsible for bringing this debate to the floor.

"At a time when hurricanes and wildfires are devastating this country, we need to use our tax dollars wisely."

After the 2001 terror attacks on the United States, Congress voted yes on the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). That declaration is still used to give the military the green light to conduct combat missions.

Some lawmakers have tried in recent years to convince congressional leaders to force a vote for another AUMF, but those efforts have come up short. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., introduced a bill this year that would have removed the current AUMF and attached it to the 2018 defense spending bill, but Ryan removed it from the legislation after it initially survived the markup stage.

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