[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15259-15260]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        MATTERS OF WAR AND PEACE

  Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I don't think we should adjourn and go 
home with matters of war and peace in front of us.
  This Senator certainly intends to support the appropriations bill, 
the continuing resolution necessary to keep the government functioning. 
But one of the issues in this continuing resolution is the 
authorization in order to start training the Free Syrian Army in Saudi 
Arabia, and this Senator certainly supports that.
  But the issues beyond just that training are very much in front of 
us, which involves the United States protecting our national security 
by going after ISIS--or ISIL or whatever you want to call them. It is 
the group that has already declared war on us. Day by day we see their 
efforts, and then we hear their statements that they want to fly the 
black flag of ISIS over the White House. What more do we need to know 
about the national security being threatened?
  Today in a joint session we heard a very inspiring and emotional 
speech by the President of Ukraine. He so poignantly pointed out how 
Russia has invaded eastern Ukraine, and it is the Russian Army against 
the Ukrainian Army. We certainly should be helping them as well, as we 
are, but it needs to be more.
  So, too, the national security of the United States is definitely 
threatened by ISIS. As I have said over and over,

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I believe the President has the constitutional authority to strike ISIS 
in Syria, as he already has in northern Iraq, and that is under his 
constitutional duty as Commander in Chief. But this is not going to be 
a strike for a few days; this is going to be a long effort to degrade 
and defeat--to use the President's words--this threat to America.
  So here the Congress of the United States is going to adjourn in the 
middle of September; and, as I calculate, starting tomorrow it is 55 
days until we would return. We need to be talking about war and peace. 
We need to be talking about the Congress exercising its constitutional 
authority to give the authority to the President for this long-term 
effort. The Senate has heard our colleague Senator Tim Kaine of 
Virginia speak very passionately about this. He believes it very 
firmly. I only disagree with Senator Kaine to the point that I believe 
the President has the authority to strike now to protect the interests 
of the United States--and I expect President Obama will do that. I am 
talking about in Syria.
  It is clear the President has already appropriately started the 
attacks, and has done it very well and successfully in the Kurdish 
region and other regions of northern Iraq, and that will continue as 
the President feels he has the authority, and I happen to agree. But 
when it comes to Syria--and that is where the head of the ISIS snake 
is; and if you are going to kill the snake, you have to go to where the 
head is and chop it off--I think it is a mistake for us to go home. I 
think it sends a very bad message not only to our countrymen, but it 
sends a very bad message to our allies and to our enemies. The opposite 
message would be sent if we would discuss these matters and come 
together with a resolution of an authorization for the use of military 
force and to have that clearly stating that the United States is 
unified to go after this insidious, evil, brutal, uncivil kind of 
force. It would send a message of unity not only to our allies, to this 
country of ours, but to our enemies.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, what is the order?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in a period of morning business with 
Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able 
to speak until I conclude. It may go over that time, but not by much.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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