White
House says Congress shouldn't sidestep Islamic State measure
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[February 16, 2015]
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House Chief
of Staff Denis McDonough on Sunday said the Republican-led Congress
should not sidestep the president's request to formally authorize
military action against Islamic State forces, saying lawmakers must not
"take a pass".
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Under President Barack Obama's orders, the U.S. military has
carried out air strikes against Islamic State forces in Iraq and
Syria since last summer but has done so without explicit
authorization from Congress.
Obama sent a formal request to Congress on Wednesday but ran into
immediate resistance both from Republicans who want stronger
measures and from many of his fellow Democrats wary of another war
in the Middle East.
Despite differences that could make passage of a resolution
difficult, McDonough said: "What they shouldn’t do this time is what
they did in 2013, when they took a pass on this issue." Congress can
change the language in the proposed resolution, he said, but not
avoid action altogether.
"They need to take a position, to say what they are for and what
they are against on this," McDonough said on CBS's "Face the
Nation". "It's very important in questions of war and peace for
Congress to be heard."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Feb/16/images/ads/current/sunloan_bch_121614.png) Obama has defended his authority to lead an international coalition
against Islamic State since Aug. 8 when U.S. warplanes began attacks
in Iraq. The formal request he sent last week, which would cover the
next three years, eased criticism of Obama's failure to seek the
backing of Congress, where some accused him of exceeding his
constitutional authority.
In 2013, Obama sent draft legislation to Congress for authorization
to use military force in response to the use of chemical weapons in
Syria's civil war. Ten days later he asked Congress to postpone the
vote while he pursued a Russian proposal for international monitors
to take over and destroy Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons. The
vote in Congress was never held.
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House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, speaking on the "Fox
News Sunday" program, said "it’s too early to predict" whether
Congress will pass authorization legislation for the fight against
Islamic State.
Boehner said House Republicans plan "exhaustive hearings" on the
matter. "The president is asking for less authority than he has
today under previous authorizations. I don’t think that’s smart,"
Boehner said.
Republican Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker,
also speaking on CBS, said "robust" hearings were planned in the
Senate.
Obama's plan does not authorize "long-term, large-scale ground
combat operations" such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. The draft
allows for certain ground combat operations including hostage
rescues and the use of special forces.
(Additional reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Stephen Powell)
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