Ken Berwitz
President Obama: “Finally, ifCongress believes, as I do, that we are at war with ISIL, it should go aheadand vote to authorize the continued use of military force against theseterrorists. For over a year, I have ordered our military to take thousands ofairstrikes against ISIL targets. I think it\’s time for Congress to vote to demonstratethat the American people are united, and committed, to this fight.”
In Congress: An AUMF never seemed like a top priorityfor the president or Congress. The White House didn\’t even send the legislation to Congress until February, six monthsafter it started bombing ISIS targets in Iraq. There has been widespreadagreement that the 2001 AUMF granting the White House the authority to fight alQaeda also covers the fight against ISIS.
In May of 2015 then-House Speaker John Boehner saidthe president should tear up the current legislation and try again.Republicansand Democrats have not been able to agree on the scope of the AUMF.
But in recent weeks the issue has gotten new life. InNovember, a bipartisan group of 35 lawmakers called on Ryan to develop a newwar authorization after the Obama administration announced it was sending special operations forces into Syria.
“Taken all together, these represent asignificant escalation in U.S. military operations in the region and place U.S.military personnel on the front lines of combat operations,” the lawmakerssaid.
