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While a few Democrats may futilely hope that voting to unauthorize the use of force in Iraq will undo their poor decision to vote 'yea' in 2002, the political reality is that voters will continue to hold them accountable for their original votes. The vast majority of Congressmen understand this. The intent of the proposed legislation is not a political do-over, but a first step toward correcting a poor decision.

It is not an unprecedented move, however. In 1971, Congress voted to 'unauthorize' the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that escalated the Vietnam War. The move was the first real victory by anti-war advocates, and eventually led to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from that conflict. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the current proposition to retract the 2002 Iraq War Resolution, the move cannot be dismissed as a purely political stunt.

Without the 60 necessary votes to prevent a filibuster in the Senate, the Democratic majority will be hard-pressed to pass such a measure unless there is a loud, grassroots swell of support for such legislation. There are a number of senators in the Republican caucus that do not fully support the administration's handling of the war, and a loud voice from their constituency could turn the tide. Unlike the earlier non-binding resolution against the war, the Biden-Shumer proposal has some teeth to it, setting guidelines for troop withdrawal and essentially making the unchecked continuance of the war illegal.

Whether or not you agree with the actions of the Senate Democrats, it is the first time since the beginning of the war that there has been any serious opposition from within one of the three branches of government. At the very least, the proposed legislation creates a real and meaningful debate around one of the most pressing issues that faces our nation.

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