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PartialNational Security / Drug Cartels

Introduce an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that would set the stage for the U.S. military to strike drug labs and cartel networks inside Mexico.

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PartialFact-checker reviewConfidence: 60%

Promise: Graham would INTRODUCE an AUMF setting the stage for U.S. military strikes on drug labs/cartel networks inside Mexico. Verification of the cited sources confirms he did not do that literal act but took a related, self-framed "set the stage" step, supporting a PARTIAL rating. (1) Graham's own press release (verified) announces the "Ending the NARCOS Act," which designates nine Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and creates an Interagency Task Force, and contains NO authorization for use of military force. (2) The bill's full text on govinfo (S.1048, verified) confirms it is a designation-and-coordination measure only — its task force "shall not direct the execution of any resulting operations" — with no AUMF and no authorization for military strikes in Mexico. (3) Congress.gov record (WebFetch 403-blocked by host, but independently confirmed via WebSearch surfacing Congress.gov's own data and via govinfo): S.1048 sponsored by Graham with cosponsors Kennedy, Blackburn, Hawley, Daines, Lee, and Braun; read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence, March 29, 2023 — the cited quote is accurate. (4) Fox News (verified) contains Graham's exact words urging Congress to "work with me to create authorization to use military force by the American military to blow these labs up," showing he treated the AUMF as not-yet-created and separate from the FTO bill. (5) Washington Examiner (verified) contains "set the stage to use military force if necessary" and describes him floating/teasing a not-yet-introduced bill. Net: Graham introduced a related FTO measure he framed with the promise's own "set the stage" language and publicly championed the military-force idea, but never introduced the AUMF itself. Not FULL (no AUMF introduced), not ATTEMPTED/IGNORED (a concrete related bill was introduced). PARTIAL is defensible and does not overstate the evidence. Confidence moderate because of genuine interpretive room over whether the FTO bill counts toward the "set the stage" framing.

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