Senator Tim Kaine paid a visit to the University of Virginia Wednesday to discuss a new bill he's proposed along with Senator John McCain.
It is called the War Powers Consultation Act, and Kaine says it was heavily influenced by a UVA committee. The bill is aimed at improving communications between the president and Congress when sending troops into battle.
Kaine says the legislation was largely influenced by a 2007 study done at UVA's Miller Center.
He says one of the most important things this bill does is increase accountability. It advocates making the president come to an agreement with Congress before sending troops into battle for more than seven days. Kaine says this will keep the president from overstepping his bounds, and keep Congress from avoiding voting on controversial issues.
"We owe it to the men and women who are fighting our battles that we not ask them to risk their lives unless we've done the work to reach a consensus between the executive and the legislative that the mission is worth it,” Kaine said.
The bill would repeal the War Powers Act of 1973, which allows the president to send troops into conflict without congressional consent in times of war as long as 48 hours’ notice is given.
Kaine says he feels confident that his bill will gain support.
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