Congress passes 2001 AUMF authorizing force against al-Qaeda after September 11

Three days after the September 11 attacks, Congress passes the Authorization for Use of Military Force, authorizing the president to use "all necessary and appropriate force" against those responsible for the attacks. The Senate votes 98-0 and the House 420-1, with Representative Barbara Lee casting the sole dissenting vote. The 2001 AUMF contains no geographic limits, no sunset clause, and no requirement to name specific targets. Successive administrations use it to justify military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, the Philippines, and Libya — operations far beyond any reasonable reading of the original authorization against al-Qaeda. Congress repeals both Iraq AUMFs in December 2025 but leaves the 2001 AUMF intact, meaning the legal architecture for indefinite global military operations without new congressional authorization remains in place.