Skip to content

Authorizing conflict: AUMF and Congress explained

A protester dressed as President Donald Trump participates in the No War With Iran rally outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
A protester dressed as President Donald Trump participates in the No War With Iran rally outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The United States hasn’t officially declared war since World War II. Instead, conflicts such as the Vietnam War, The Gulf War and the War on Terror are initiated courtesy of an Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF

Watch as CQ Roll Call’s Foreign Policy reporter Rachel Oswald explains AUMF, how it’s used and the implications behind President Donald Trump’s recent military actions against Iran.

[jwp-video n=”1″]

Recent Stories

DOGE attempt at GAO is ‘intrusion’ into legislative branch, Dems say

Supreme Court rules US tried to deport migrants too quickly

Nap-itol Hill — Congressional Hits and Misses

Weekend do-over planned for ‘big, beautiful’ budget package

Q&A on Trump’s prescription drug pricing executive order

Photos of the week | May 9-15, 2025