Sanders voted against the resolutions authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1991 and 2002 , and opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq . He voted for the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists that has been cited as the legal justification for controversial military actions since the September 11 attacks . Sanders voted for a non-binding resolution expressing support for troops at the outset of the invasion of Iraq , but gave a floor speech criticizing the partisan nature of the vote and the George W. Bush administration 's actions in the run-up to the war . Regarding the investigation of what turned out to be a leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame 's identity by a State Department official , Sanders stated : " The revelation that the President authorized the release of classified information in order to discredit an Iraq war critic should tell every member of Congress that the time is now for a serious investigation of how we got into the war in Iraq and why Congress can no longer act as a rubber stamp for the President . " In 1996 Sanders voted against a bill that would have prohibited police purchasing of tanks and armored carriers
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Bernie Sanders