New Bill Proposes 10-Year Limit on War Authorizations, Ends Existing Ones in 6 Months

Okay, let's break down the 'Accountability for Endless Wars Act of 2025'. At its core, this bill aims to put an expiration date on the legal permissions Congress grants for using military force. Section 2 is the engine here: it proposes that any future authorizations for the use of military force (AUMFs) or formal declarations of war automatically expire 10 years after they are enacted. Critically, it also seeks to terminate all existing AUMFs and declarations just 6 months after this bill would become law.

Putting a Clock on Conflict

The big idea is to prevent military engagements from dragging on for decades under outdated legal justifications. Think about the authorizations passed way back in 2001 and 2002 – they've been the legal basis for military operations across multiple presidents and changing global landscapes. This bill says 'no more open-ended commitments.' By forcing a 10-year sunset, Congress would have to proactively debate and vote again if it wants a military operation to continue beyond that decade. It's essentially building in mandatory check-ins, forcing lawmakers to take ownership of ongoing conflicts rather than letting them run on autopilot based on votes cast years or even decades earlier.

Winding Down Old Wars (Quickly)

The potentially more immediate impact comes from the provision terminating existing authorizations within six months. This is a significant move, as it would effectively pull the legal rug out from under operations currently relying on those older AUMFs. The practical challenge here is the tight timeline. Six months isn't a lot of time to potentially wind down complex military activities, withdraw personnel and equipment safely, and manage the geopolitical fallout. While the goal is accountability, the feasibility of hitting that deadline without creating new risks is a key question raised by the text itself.

The Bottom Line: More Debate, Less 'Forever'?

Ultimately, this bill tries to shift how decisions about war are made and maintained. It doesn't prevent Congress from authorizing military force, but it forces the issue back onto the table regularly. Instead of a single vote potentially greenlighting action indefinitely, lawmakers would face recurring decisions. The intent seems clear: increase congressional responsibility and make 'endless wars' harder to sustain legally. Whether future Congresses would simply pass new 10-year authorizations back-to-back, or if the 6-month deadline for current AUMFs is practical, remain open questions based purely on the legislative text.