Senate Votes Down Bill to Withdraw Troops from Niger

The Senate on Thursday rejected a bill that would have directed President Biden to withdraw all US troops from Niger, where a military government has been in power since a July 26 coup that removed former President Mohamed Bazoum.

The bill failed overwhelmingly in a vote of 11-86. The resolution was led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Roger Marshall (R-KS). The eight other senators who voted in favor of the bill include Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Kennedy (R-LA), JD Vance (R-OH), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Mike Braun (R-IN).

During the debate on the Senate floor, Paul questioned the authorization for the US presence in Niger as it’s justified by the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) that was passed in the wake of 9/11 to invade Afghanistan. “Using an AUMF from 22 years ago, an authorization to get the people who attacked us on 9/11, to justify a war in Niger is a ridiculous notion and should be rejected out of hand,” he said, according to Responsible Statecraft.