[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5702-S5703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE:
  S.J. Res. 44. A joint resolution to authorize the use of United 
States Armed Forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant; 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I am introducing a resolution to provide 
President Obama with authority in the multinational mission to defeat 
the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, which is meant to 
reinforce the President's strategy, as well as set key limitations that 
I hope will be included in final authorizing language for broader 
Congressional consideration.
  President Obama laid out a strong case for the need to defeat ISIL, 
and asked for Congressional support for this effort. Now is the time 
for Congress to act to support the President and reestablish balance 
between the Executive and Legislature on whether or not to engage in 
significant military action.

[[Page S5703]]

  I was heartened when Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Menendez 
answered the President's call by saying the committee would soon craft 
authorizing language for the U.S. military mission. It is my hope that 
the proposal I am introducing today will help move the process forward 
on what a specific and narrow authorization for limited military action 
against ISIL should look like.
  This authorization is specific to ISIL and supports President Obama's 
key pillars: a multinational effort to degrade and destroy ISIL, the 
use of necessary and appropriate force in a campaign of air strikes 
against ISIL in Iraq and Syria and the provision of military equipment 
to appropriately vetted forces in Iraq and Syria, including the Iraqi 
security forces, Kurdish fighters, and other legitimate, appropriately 
vetted, non-terrorist opposition groups in Syria. It also includes four 
key limitations: no U.S. ground troops; repeal of the 2002 Iraq 
Authorization for Use of Military Force; sunset after 1 year; and 
narrow definition of associated forces. I have also included reporting 
requirements that require the President to update Congress on progress 
of the mission.
  I believe this authorization is needed for two reasons. First, we 
need to comply with constitutional war powers provisions--Congress 
declares war and the President, as Commander-in-Chief, executes the 
mission. Second, and perhaps more importantly, Congressional buy-in 
represents a core value of our Nation--that the political leadership is 
willing to do the hard work to reach consensus in support of our 
servicemembers. If Congress is not willing to do the hard work to 
debate and vote on an authorization, we should not be asking our 
servicemembers to go into harm's way.

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