Kaine, Others Call For Congress To Approve Airstrikes

WASHINGTON — Some of Virginia’s top political leaders are taking issue with President Barack Obama’s authorization of Syrian airstrikes without congressional approval.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says the United States shouldn’t be participating in the strikes against Islamic State terrorists because Congress hasn’t authorized them.

But Kaine also finds it “kind of unfathomable” that Congress would take a recess until mid-November without voting on the use of force.

“I think the White House would very much welcome Congress’ involvement, but it’s been the Congress [that has been] sort of running to avoid taking the vote,” Kaine said Wednesday. “Or, at least delay taking the vote.

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10th, also believes congressional authority is needed. And he thinks military force should be expanded to al-Qaida and its affiliates.

“If we don’t deal with al-Qaida, al-Qaida is the one that took down the World Trade Center,” Wolf said Wednesday.

Al-Qaida terrorists also downed planes into a Pennsylvania field and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, the latter of which, Wolf noted, “killed a number of people from my congressional district.”

The 10th District stretches from McLean to west of Winchester.

Earlier this month, Wolf introduced legislation that would authorize the use of military force against international terrorist groups, including the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.

In March, he introduced a bill that would prevent Americans from going to Syria on unsanctioned travel to prevent “homegrown” terrorists from coming back to the U.S. to commit terroist acts here.

“You have to make it a federal law, a crime for someone to leave here and go over there and fight for these guys,” Wolf said.

Last week, Kaine introduced a bill in the Senate that would authorize military action against the Islamic State group and provide military equipment to “appropriate vetted forces in Iraq and Syria,” but with certain limitations. Those limitations include keeping U.S. ground troops out of the fight, repealing the 2002 authorization of use of force in Iraq and ending the authorization after a year.

“I started to really call for that this summer when it seemed like there was some chance that military action would be needed,” Kaine said.

Before going into recess, he noted, Congress did vote to arm and assist Syrian rebels.

“But the remaining aspect of the president’s proposal, especially the airstrike campaign, has still not been authorized by Congress,” Kaine said. “I just think there’s no substitute for Congress taking this responsibility seriously.

“I think the preferable thing to do would’ve been to have congressional authorization before we decided to go on the offense against [the Islamic State group]. As of three weeks ago, most of my congressional colleagues disagreed with me [that military action was needed].”

The tide has since turned, Kaine said.

But he doesn’t think the Islamic State group poses any immediate threat to the U.S.

He said the Aug. 8 airstrikes in Iraq successfully slowed the momentum of the Islamic State’s march to Baghdad and threat to U.S. embassies.

“The president is doing something right,” Kaine said. “The coalition he has assembled has been impressive, especially the nations from the Arab world.”

Kaine said it’s very unusual to get Arab nations to publicly participate in military action or condemn violent extremism.

“That’s very, very long overdue and very important,” Kaine said. “That doesn’t answer the question of how can you initiate war without a congressional authorization. The sooner we can get to that debate and vote, the better.”

Wolf thinks “the Congress and the administration both” are dragging their feet on getting military action authorized.

When the U.S. launched Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991, it came after several months of debate, Wolf said. The decision to strike Iraq and Afghanistan in 2002 was debated for weeks, he said.

“This one, we debated for six hours,” Wolf said.

When the House of Representatives returns from recess, he plans to push his bill hard.

“A couple pinprick strikes in Syria, that’s not going to resolve the problem,” he said. “I have a much better resolution that deals with the problem [whether] it’s al-Qaida, al Shabaab.”

Wolf added that al-Qaida has expanded into India.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner’s office re-released a statement in response to Obama’s Sept. 10 address to the nation regarding the Islamic State group.

The statement says Warner supports the effort to “degrade and defeat” the Islamic State, “which poses a clear threat to U.S. interests.”

It also says that it is “appropriate” for America to be involved in the coalition.

###