Twenty-three years ago, the U.S. Senate voted 77 to 23 in favor of a resolution which authorized taking military action against Iraq.

While the resolution became a source of fierce debate, senators unanimously decided this past week to repeal it.   

Amendment proposed by Virginia Democrat and Indiana Republican

That's according to the Associated Press, which reported that the measure passed on Thursday as an amendment to an annual defense authorization.

The news service explained that the amendment was authored by Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young.

Tonight, the Senate passed legislation I authored with @SenTimKaine to repeal the repeal the 1991 and 2002 Iraq war authorizations.

— Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) October 10, 2025

"That’s the way the war ends, not with a bang but a whimper. America is forever changed by those wars, and the Middle East is too," Kaine was quoted as saying.

The Associated Press reported that it is unclear as to whether or not President Donald Trump will support ending the 2002 authorization.

Young hopes president will "take great pride" in signing bill

It recalled how Trump was a vocal critic of the decision to invade Iraq during his 2016 White House campaign and regularly excoriated former President George W. Bush.

Politico observed that during one televised debate, Trump called the war "a big fat mistake" and accused Bush of lying about the presence of weapons of mass destruction.

Young highlighted that record when suggesting that the president should "take great pride" in signing the bill given his longstanding opposition to "forever wars."

"Congress is now very clearly asserting that it is our prerogative and our responsibility not only to authorize but also to bring to an end military conflicts," the senator declared.

Trump used authorization to justify action against ISIS and Qassem Soleimani

However, the Associated Press pointed out how Trump made use of the military force authorization during his first term in office.

One example came in 2020 when the president ordered a fatal strike on Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who commanded Iran's paramilitary Quds Force.

What's more, Trump also relied on the measure to justify taking military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), including the 2019 killing of terror leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Thursday's Senate came roughly a month after the House passed a similar measure by a margin of  261 to 167. The Hill observed that it was supported by all Democratic members as well as 49 Republicans.