Congress passes the 2002 AUMF authorizing force against Iraq

Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq on October 16, 2002, with a 296-133 vote in the House and 77-23 vote in the Senate. The resolution granted President George W. Bush broad authority to use military force to defend US national security against Iraq and enforce UN Security Council resolutions. The 2002 AUMF became a template for expansive presidential war authority, remaining technically unrepealed for over two decades and used to justify operations far beyond its original scope.