During an interview with the Daily Caller, Gaetz expressed his support for greater cooperation between left-wing Democrats and populist Republicans in the House on foreign policy issues. Despite his previous criticisms of the left-wing group known as “the Squad,” the lawmaker acknowledged the contributions of Democratic representatives Ro Khanna, Jamaal Bowman, and Ilhan Omar to his recent War Powers measure, which aimed to remove U.S. troops from Somalia.

“[W]hile we disagree strongly on a variety of issues, I think there should be greater connectivity between the anti-war right and the anti-war left,” Gaetz said, referring to his alliance with progressive antiwar Democrats. “I am grateful for the advice that I’ve gotten from [them on] war powers bills.”

Gaetz emphasized the need for connections between anti-war factions from both sides of the political spectrum. However, the broader opposition to Gaetz’s views, including within his own party, suggests that his position remains largely unpopular. He criticized the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and called out Republican representatives Mike McCaul and John James as leading opponents of his stance.

The coalition’s efforts to remove troops from Syria and Somalia have faced consistent rejection in Congress, and it is uncertain how much support it will gather with future attempts. “I sometimes feel as though I’m waging a forever war against forever wars,” Gaetz said.

However, the bipartisan group of lawmakers has won some small victories over the past few years. In 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Ro Khanna, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, urged Congress to defund unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The group, consisting of 44 lawmakers, called for an amendment to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 that would end U.S. participation in offensive strikes in the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis in Yemen.

In a statement, the lawmakers highlighted the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict, with 80 percent of Yemen’s population, or 24 million Yemenis, in need of humanitarian assistance. They argued that including the amendment in the NDAA would ensure that U.S. military personnel are not involved in a war that has not been authorized by Congress and does not advance U.S. national security interests. The amendment was passed along with the rest of the package.

In 2021, the bipartisan group passed an amendment proposed by Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Matt Gaetz to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a vote of 251-170. The amendment aimed to prevent federal funds from being used for any military force in or against Iran without congressional authorization.

The amendment also clarified that the 2001 and 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) cannot be invoked to justify military action against Iran. The passage of the amendment is seen as a historic moment, signaling Congress’s efforts to assert its war-making powers and avoid costly wars.

The bipartisan support, with over 25 Republicans voting in favor, indicates that opposition to war with Iran transcends partisan politics.

Nevertheless, taking on the warmongering establishment in both parties remains a daunting endeavor. Too many of our lawmakers are deeply invested in ensuring that the U.S. remains involved in these foreign entanglements even if it places members of the military in peril for a conflict that has nothing to do with defending our rights. One of the issues is that most regular folks are not aware of the extent to which forces in the federal government are meddling in foreign conflicts. Perhaps by exposing more of this, people might be moved to demand an end to “forever wars.”

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