Mr. President, leave declaring war to Congress

The House of Representatives just took a historic step toward ending the policy of perpetual war that has governed US foreign policy during this century. Eighteen years after the passage of the 2001 Authorization of Military Force (AUMF), which essentially gave the executive branch a blank check for going to war, the House passed an amendment by Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee that will sunset that 2001 measure within eight months of its passage into law.