[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 131 (Monday, September 15, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5575-S5576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  ISIS

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I wish to spend a few moments speaking 
about national defense.
  As we all know, last week, in a much anticipated address to the 
Nation, President Obama outlined a plan to defeat the Islamic State in 
Iraq and Syria. I want my colleagues to know I intend to do my part to 
make this plan a success.
  I am not alone in hoping this goal to defeat--not contain--ISIS will 
replace the half measures and disengagement that has defined the 
President's foreign policy to date. The President's previous comment 
that ``we don't have a strategy yet'' sent the wrong signal to our 
allies and to our adversaries.
  In response to the President's address last week, Congress and the 
American people are now seeking specifics about the new strategy. I am 
hopeful the new plan is strong enough and broad enough to be successful 
long term. U.S. leadership and the projection of military might are 
critical to defeating the ISIS extremists.
  Thirteen years after September 11, 2001, Americans need to send a 
unified message that we remain resolved to fight the scourge of global 
terrorism. ISIS is part of that scourge, reeking havoc in Iraq and 
Syria, with torture, mass executions, crucifixions, and plans for a 
seventh century-style Islamic caliphate. As we all know, ISIS 
broadcasts its savagery through gruesome propaganda online, including 
the horrific murders of two Americans and a British aid worker.
  It is clear our efforts to date have been insufficient to overthrow 
this well-funded, well-equipped, and sophisticated army. It will take 
more than limited air strikes and the modest deployment of military 
advisers to curb the rapid spread of ISIS across northern Iraq and 
Syria. The United States must be committed to building a coalition that 
fosters regional cooperation, dismantles the group's considerable 
financial network, and assists the Iraqi, Kurdish, and Free Syrian 
forces. I wish to help the President in his request for authorization 
to train and equip these forces.
  This coalition needs to include Muslim-majority nations that are all 
in with a demonstrated resolve to defeat the Islamic terrorists in 
their own neighborhood.
  The cost of inaction is already high. The rise of ISIS in northern 
Iraq and its operations in Syria have threatened regional stability and 
the security of our allies in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and Kuwait. The 
involvement of foreign fighters raises fears of potential terrorist 
plots here at home. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel 
said there are more than 100 U.S. citizens with passports fighting for 
the terrorist group. He went on to say, ``There may be more. We don't 
know.''
  Secretary of Defense Hagel, who will testify tomorrow before the 
Armed Services Committee, has called ISIS, ``An imminent threat to 
every interest we have, whether it's in Iraq or anywhere else.'' 
Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed similar alarm, saying, 
``The wickedness it represents must be destroyed.'' I agree. But if 
these statements are true, then we should respond to them aggressively.
  Similar to Secretary Hagel and Secretary Kerry, the American public 
is concerned about the threat of ISIS to the United States. A new 
report by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News says nearly 7 in 10 
Americans believe military action against ISIS in Iraq and Syria is in 
our national interest.
  Americans are ready for a bold international strategy to confront 
these extremists whose ruthless campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing 
has survived for too long. These radicals have driven tens of thousands 
of Iraq's Yazidi and Christian minorities from their homes in fear. 
According to news reports, thousands of civilians have been slaughtered 
across northwestern Iraq.
  GEN Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and 
Danielle Pletka, a senior vice president at the American Enterprise 
Institute, put it this way in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed:

       A U.S.-led international coalition can provide the military 
     capability, including air interdiction to deny ISIS freedom 
     of movement, take away its initiative to attack at will in 
     Iraq, and dramatically reduce its sanctuary in Syria.

  In other words, with U.S. leadership and international cooperation, 
we can defeat this enemy, and we ought to get about the business of 
doing it.
  I believe Congress should support our Commander in Chief in the fight 
against ISIS, a fight that can result in a victory and a peace that can 
be sustained. I look forward to hearing more

[[Page S5576]]

details about the President's plans when Secretary Hagel and GEN Martin 
Dempsey testify before the Armed Services Committee tomorrow.
  There are still questions to be answered. For example, if public 
opinion turns, will the administration lose its resolve? How long will 
it take to win? How long will it take to crush ISIS? What is the 
definition of success? What is the definition of victory in this case? 
If we accomplish our objectives, will we once again abandon our gains, 
as we did after the surge in Iraq? What is the plan to eliminate the 
terrorist group's financial network? Are the President and 
congressional leaders willing to find a solution to defense 
sequestration in order to fulfill the mission if more resources are 
required? And more resources will be required.
  Addressing these questions is important to understanding the specific 
goals and aims of the President's strategy, which are yet to be fleshed 
out. Americans and Congress deserve this clarity.
  Congress has the responsibility to provide for the resources our U.S. 
military needs for its missions. We do this through appropriations, 
through the power of the purse, and the National Defense Authorization 
Act, which has garnered bipartisan support for the past 52 years.
  Under the capable leadership of Chairman Levin and Ranking Member 
Inhofe, the Armed Services Committee approved a bill more than 3 months 
ago. So has the full House of Representatives. It has passed its 
authorization act. I hope that even at this late date, Majority Leader 
Reid will allow our country's major defense policy bill to come to the 
Senate floor for consideration soon. An annual blueprint of the 
military priorities is vital to making sure that our troops have what 
they need to protect our national security interests at home and 
abroad.

  This year's bill, for example, includes a provision to stave off 
drastic cuts to the U.S. Army which would put troop strength at levels 
not seen before World War II. Well-trained units such as the 155th 
Heavy Brigade Combat Team in my home State of Mississippi should not be 
jeopardized by shortsighted and ill-considered proposals by the Obama 
administration. Instead, under the committee bill, an independent 
commission would have the opportunity to make recommendations on force 
structure and size before the National Guard personnel could be cut or 
the Apache attack helicopters could be transferred.
  Another provision of the bill would allow for the U.S. Navy and 
Marine Corps to modernize their amphibious warships. These incredibly 
versatile ships signal to the world that America's fighting forces can 
respond to threats rapidly. Currently our fleet is significantly 
smaller than the number needed to perform required missions, and many 
of the ships are near the end of their service lives. The Defense 
authorization bill as passed on a bipartisan basis by the committee 
would authorize the construction of a 12th LPD 17 warship ensuring that 
the men and women who defend us in perilous corners of the globe have 
world-class hardware for their missions.
  I believe it would be a fitting tribute to Senator Levin, who is 
retiring at the end of this year after decades of distinguished service 
in the Senate, to take up this bill in regular order and pass it as a 
tribute to our retiring chair.
  In conclusion, we have work to do. The Senate Armed Services 
Committee and the House of Representatives have passed the Defense 
authorization bill. It is time for the Senate to follow suit. America 
has the most formidable fighting force in the world and this presence 
must remain resilient as dangerous groups such as ISIS put our 
interests at risk. The rapid rise of the barbaric terrorists is a wake-
up call for U.S. leadership. Now that the President has declared his 
intention to degrade and destroy ISIS militants, we must ensure that 
the mission is fulfilled.
  Thank you.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________