Kaine praises Obama's move to seek congressional OK for use of force against IS

U.S. Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., on Wednesday applauded President Barack Obama’s announcement that he would seek congressional authorization for the use of force against Islamic State militants.

“We can now focus on having the proper debate and vote the American people and our service members deserve,” said Kaine, who had pushed for a formal authorization of war powers since summer.

But Kaine also expressed concern with what he termed the “breadth and vagueness” of the U.S. ground troop language and vowed to seek clarification.

Under the White House proposal, Obama would be authorized to “use the Armed Forces of the United States as the president determines to be necessary and appropriate against ISIL or associated persons or forces.”

Elements of Kaine’s own resolution, which he introduced in September and was based on Obama’s assurances last summer that ground troops would not be used, advanced in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in December.

Some of the measure’s key provisions included limiting the use of U.S. ground troops but allowing exceptions such as rescue missions; spotters to help direct airstrikes; and special forces operations going after high-value Islamic State targets.

“The White House chose in their drafting to not follow that format,” Kaine said in a phone interview Wednesday.

“They just said you cannot use ground troops for enduring offensive operations, but that phrase was not defined. What is enduring? We have learned from past history that vague, undefined phrases in authorizations can have a way of getting used in circumstances that were never contemplated.”

But Kaine said he recognized several other provisions from his own resolution in the White House proposal, including a “three-year sunset” that would require the president to seek congressional approval again for the use of military force against Islamic State fighters after that time.

Obama’s draft also would repeal the 2002 authorization that allowed military action in Iraq, under which the White House currently was operating — a provision that Kaine’s proposal also urged.

“That authorization is now 13 years old, and it’s time it be repealed,” Kaine said, adding that he was disappointed that Obama did not ask to repeal the 2001 Afghanistan authorization, “but he is committed to work diligently with Congress trying to revise that.”

Kaine said he is looking forward to “a robust debate,” amendments and a vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as it prepares to take up Obama’s draft authorization.

“Waging war is the most serious thing we do, and it is the most sober responsibility that Congress has,” Kaine said. “Thousands of air missions against ISIL, a big expenditure of American taxpayer dollars, three service members have lost their lives in connection with this military mission, and it is now time to put the horse in front of the cart and actually have a debate.”

Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., also hailed Obama’s decision to seek authorization.

“Even by terrorist standards, ISIL is a barbaric group, and it poses a significant threat to our interests in the region, our European allies and to the United States,” Warner said in a statement.

“It is important that we provide the president and our military commanders with the tools and the latitude necessary to defeat this threat to our vital interests.”

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