President Obama Urges Congress to Sanction Military Action Against ISIS, Senator Ted Cruz Responds

President Barack Obama in an open letter and live statements urged Congress to sanction military action against the Islamic Sate, or ISIS, on Wednesday, February 11, to stymie the movement’s growth before it poses a larger international threat.

The president’s statement said in part:

The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East, and to U.S. national security. It threatens American personnel and facilities located in the region and is responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller. If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland.
I have directed a comprehensive and sustained strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL. As part of this strategy, U.S. military forces are conducting a systematic campaign of airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Although existing statutes provide me with the authority I need to take these actions, I have repeatedly expressed my commitment to working with the Congress to pass a bipartisan authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL. Consistent with this commitment, I am submitting a draft AUMF that would authorize the continued use of military force to degrade and defeat ISIL.

Read the full letter.

President Obama’s statements came in the wake of reports of ISIS captive and U.S. native Kayla Mueller’s death following an airstrike in Syria.

United States Senator from Texas Ted Cruz stated Congress should strengthen the authorization with public hearings and debates in a response to Obama’s address.

The Senator’s statement read:

For several months the Obama Administration has been engaging in military conduct without authorization from Congress, and it is long past time for the White House to seek an AUMF from Congress, which is the only body that has the constitutional authority to declare war. It will be beneficial to have serious public hearings and debates over the plan that was presented. Congress should strengthen the AUMF by making sure the President is committed to clear objectives and a specific plan to accomplish those goals. That should begin by clearly defining the enemy as ‘radical Islamic terrorists.’ We will not be able to win the war against radical Islamic terrorism as long as our Commander-in-Chief refuses to recognize who it is we are fighting.”

 

Let us know what you think about military engagement against ISIS by commenting below.