Authorization for Use of Military Force
Public Law 107-40 · S.J.Res. 23 · 107th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Sep 18, 2001 · Armed Forces and National Security
Major law
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Trent Lott
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateRecorded vote: 98 yea, 0 nay98–0
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Authorization for Use of Military Force - Authorizes the President to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations, or persons.
States that this Act is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of the War Powers Resolution.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 107th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 98 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
98 yea0 nay2 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(50)
- Sen. Paul WellstoneD-MN
- Sen. Jon CorzineD-NJ
- Sen. Mark DaytonD-MN
Sen. Barbara BoxerD-CA
Sen. Jack ReedD-RI- Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
Sen. Daniel AkakaD-HI
Sen. Richard DurbinD-IL
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
Sen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD
Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA
Sen. Debbie StabenowD-MI
Sen. Hillary ClintonD-NY
Sen. John KerryD-MA
Sen. Harry ReidD-NV
Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV
Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
Sen. Chuck SchumerD-NY
Sen. Patty MurrayD-WA
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV
Sen. Byron DorganD-ND
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE
Sen. Maria CantwellD-WA- Sen. Tom DaschleD-SD
Sen. Bill NelsonD-FL
Sen. Ron WydenD-OR
Sen. Russell FeingoldD-WI
Sen. Joseph LiebermanD-CT- Sen. Bob GrahamD-FL
- Sen. John EdwardsD-NC
Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
Sen. Tim JohnsonD-SD
Sen. Herb KohlD-WI- Sen. Jean CarnahanD-MO
Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA- Sen. Robert TorricelliD-NJ
Sen. Evan BayhD-IN
Sen. Mary LandrieuD-LA
Sen. Thomas CarperD-DE- Sen. Maxwell ClelandD-GA
Sen. Blanche LincolnD-AR
Sen. Max BaucusD-MT- Sen. John BreauxD-LA
Sen. Ben NelsonD-NE- Sen. Zell MillerD-GA
Republicans who voted yea(48)
- Sen. Jim JeffordsR-VT
- Sen. Lincoln ChafeeR-RI
Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
Sen. Olympia SnoweR-ME
Sen. Susan CollinsR-ME
Sen. Gordon SmithR-OR
Sen. John McCainR-AZ- Sen. Peter FitzgeraldR-IL
Sen. John WarnerR-VA- Sen. Mike DeWineR-OH
Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Ben CampbellR-CO
- Sen. Tim HutchinsonR-AR
Sen. Richard LugarR-IN- Sen. George AllenR-VA
Sen. George VoinovichR-OH
Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
Sen. Richard ShelbyR-AL
Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
Sen. John EnsignR-NV
Sen. Chuck HagelR-NE
Sen. Mike CrapoR-ID- Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
- Sen. Fred ThompsonR-TN
Sen. Kit BondR-MO
Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
Sen. Judd GreggR-NH- Sen. Conrad BurnsR-MT
Sen. Pat RobertsR-KS
Sen. Sam BrownbackR-KS
Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY- Sen. Bill FristR-TN
- Sen. Rick SantorumR-PA
Sen. Jeff SessionsR-AL
Sen. Trent LottR-MS
Sen. Jim InhofeR-OK
Sen. Jim BunningR-KY- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
Sen. Michael EnziR-WY
Sen. Wayne AllardR-CO- Sen. Craig ThomasR-WY
- Sen. Bob SmithR-NH
- Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
- Sen. Phil GrammR-TX
Sen. Jon KylR-AZ
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 281 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 8 actions.
- Sep 18, 2001Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 107-40.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 15, 2001PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 14, 2001FloorFloor · A similar measure H.J. Res. 64 was laid on the table without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Yea-Nay Vote. 98 - 0. Record Vote Number: 281.Senate roll call 281
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.