House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is already softening on a promise last year that those who opposed last year's $1.7 trillion omnibus bill would have their bills opposed in the House.
McCarthy's move at the time was key in helping to secure the votes needed to later win the speakership in the new GOP-lead House.
Hey @SpeakerMcCarthy, YOU PROMISED!! #NoExcuses!! #AreYouARino?!
McCarthy’s omnibus threat fades as Congress weighs ending ‘forever wars’ https://t.co/SvMUjKLS3P— Gabe ✝️🇺🇸 (@RNDACS) March 21, 2023
“Let us be clear: Saddam Hussein is dead, and we are no longer worried about the threat posed by Iraq,” Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) said in a floor speech last week.
“Iraq has faced pressure from Iran for the past 20 years. The presence of the 1991 and the 2002 AUMFs has not changed that. Going forward, as Iraq continues to face Iranian coercion and violence, we must stand with them as partners — not as our enemy," he added.
Today, the Senate took the first steps to formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars.
@TimKaine and I joined @AmericanLegion members to talk about how our bipartisan bill will honor our veterans and restore the constitutional role of Congress. pic.twitter.com/VBgv3f8LM1— Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) March 16, 2023
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine (VA) also spoke out on the issue.
"20 years ago, the U.S. invaded Iraq. Thanks to the heroism of our troops, the mission is over. Iraq is now a strategic partner. It’s long past time to pass @SenToddYoung and my bill to repeal the war authorization against Iraq—and end endless war," he tweeted.
20 years ago, the U.S. invaded Iraq. Thanks to the heroism of our troops, the mission is over. Iraq is now a strategic partner. It’s long past time to pass @SenToddYoung and my bill to repeal the war authorization against Iraq—and end endless war.
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) March 19, 2023
“I’m into it,” McCarthy said of the Iraq war authorization repeals at a news conference for a GOP retreat in Orlando, Fla.
“I don’t have a problem repealing that," he added in his response, though he said the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force should remain intact to deal with global terrorism.
The issue now has him in a conflict between legislation he supports and a senator who opposed his past commitment.
Young is likely to win out in the issue that holds strong support by both parties and most Americans.
The issue is showing that McCarthy's "dead on arrival" talk is not solid after all, weakening his resolve as leader in the House.
The new bill continues to move forward with McCarthy stuck in a situation it gathered momentum to pass in the Senate and moves to the House.
