July 24, 2019
On Wednesday, July 24, Foreign Policy for America hosted Congressman Max Rose and Elizabeth Beavers for an event discussing what Congress can, and should, do about the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).
In the nearly 18 years since the 2001 AUMF was passed, it has been used as the legal authorization for military involvement around the world – at least 41 times in 19 countries according to the Congressional Research Service. The call to end our endless wars is growing louder and bringing together long-time peace activists and a new generation of war skeptics. Congressman Max Rose and moderator Elizabeth Beavers explored how we arrived at this moment when a repeal of the 2001 AUMF seems possible, and what options Congress has to reassert its constitutional authority over when, where, and against whom the United States uses force.
Congressman Max Rose represents New York’s 11th Congressional District. He serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs, and is the Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism. Prior to running for office, Rose served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan from 2012-2013. He also worked as Director of Public Engagement and Special Assistant to the late Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson.
Elizabeth Beavers is an attorney, analyst, and advocate for peace and security. Her work focuses on dismantling the endless war machine and protecting the human rights and civil liberties that it displaces. Most recently, she served as Associate Policy Director for the Indivisible Project, a movement of thousands of local groups working to pressure their members of Congress. Elizabeth led the organization’s work on foreign policy, national security, democracy, and human rights. Before Indivisible, Elizabeth was the Senior Campaigner for the U.S. section of Amnesty International, focused on bringing U.S. national security policy in line with international human rights standards. She also created and directed the Militarism & Civil Liberties program at the Friends Committee on National Legislation and sits on the board of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. Elizabeth’s commentary on U.S. militarism has been featured in outlets including the New York Times, The Guardian, Reuters, CNN, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today. Her work making the connections between the so-called global “War on Terror” and domestic militarization of U.S. police was featured in the award-winning documentary Peace Officer.
