COMMUNITY VIEW: Kaine to Congress: Do the job

America is at war. Four months since the president commenced military action in Iraq against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the mission has involved more than 1,100 coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, the vast majority carried out by American service members.

Three American troops have died. There are already 1,400 U.S. ground troops deployed in Iraq to train and advise regional forces, and the president has authorized an additional 1,500 U.S. troops to serve in a train and advise capacity. The total cost of Operation Inherent Resolve thus far to U.S. taxpayers is greater than $1 billion.

Our nation is at war, but you wouldn’t know that from the silence in the halls of Congress and the White House. Congress has ducked its constitutional duty to give the American people a public debate and vote on this war, which would show our service members who are risking their lives that the nation’s leaders are behind this mission. The president has not offered any proposed authorization for the war despite lacking the legal authority to act on his own.

This issue hits close to home for Virginians, as we live in the most military-connected state in the country. Roughly one in three Virginians is connected to the military, and one in nine Virginians is a veteran. But our connection to this issue goes back hundreds of years, when the framers of the Constitution – including Virginians like Jefferson, Madison and Mason – clearly laid out their view that the decision to go to war should be put in the hands of the legislative branch. Unfortunately, no sooner had the ink dried on the Constitution than we began to see the executive overreach and Congress abdicate its responsibility.

Deciding whether to authorize military action that puts our service members in harm’s way is the most solemn responsibility we have as lawmakers. Ducking that duty because we are afraid of the political consequences is a disservice to our constituents and to the troops who must face the human costs.

Thankfully, in the last few days we have begun taking important steps toward a vote. Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held an open hearing with Secretary of State John Kerry on the current military mission against ISIL. Today and tomorrow, we will finalize the details of an authorization for use of military force, and once we have a final bill, the committee will vote on whether to pass it. These are meaningful steps that I have called for since the mission began.

Now that we are finally taking action, it’s important that we do this the right way. The House plans to recess on Dec. 11, and it’s likely the Senate will follow suit.

There is no reason to adjourn two weeks before Christmas when we are in the midst of such an important debate. By pushing a final vote into the new year, we are asking service members to risk their lives for another month or more without a political consensus behind this mission. We owe it to them – and the American people – to stay in town and do our job.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D)

Virginia