Our view: Kaine is right on war powers
When Congress resumes work Monday, the weightiest debate it needs to have might not occur, at least before it breaks again for mid-term elections: Should Congress authorize continued use of military force against ISIS in Iraq — and possibly extend the action into Syria?
Of course, President Obama has not asked yet, despite bipartisan calls to explain his objectives since first ordering U.S. airstrikes in Iraq last month against the self-described Islamic State, a well-armed, well-funded terrorist organization that is also known as ISIL.
Obama has sent several reports on the attacks in Iraq to the Hill, but he has yet to explain the extent of the U.S. commitment, other than to say the objective is to “degrade and destroy ISIL so that it’s no longer a threat, not just to Iraq but also to the region and to the United States.”
What does that mean? Is the U.S. prepared to expand its use of force into Syria? Will military action be limited to airstrikes, and, if so, with what specific goal in mind?
The Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war. It should not be removed from decision-making until essentially after the fact — after U.S. forces are deeply involved.
A debate about whether to give Obama new war powers needs to occur soon.
But with just two weeks before lawmakers head home — many to defend their seats in the November election — it’s not clear that all, or even most, really want the president to seek their consent. Vulnerable Democrats have to worry that a vote to do so could hurt them with the party’s base and keep their voters away from the polls.
To his credit, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine spoke out early about the need for Congress to debate and vote on whether to give the president authority to continue military action against ISIS beyond the 60 days allowed under the War Powers Resolution — till Oct. 8.
This is all the more laudable given that Kaine is close to the president and a fellow Democrat — and not everyone in his party approves of his position.
The Hill reported recently that unnamed aides to some vulnerable Senate Democrats say they are having heartburn over Kaine’s high-mindedness, and question whether he’s just trying to raise his national profile.
We expect not, and that his response was nothing except sincere when he told The Hill, “I don’t think anybody should just be in this job for the politics. They should be in the job to do the right thing.”
That is the Kaine Virginians know.
Of course, he is not running for re-election in this political cycle. Fellow Virginia Democrat Mark Warner is. He’s a popular incumbent, but he’s facing a credible and well-funded Republican opponent for his Senate seat.
Last week, Warner issued a statement denouncing “the barbaric tactics of the terrorist group ISIL,” and went on to say, in part, “I urge the administration to come to Congress with a clear strategy and political and military options for eliminating the ISIL threat. The United States should not take any military options off the table, because stopping ISIL is in the national security and foreign policy interests of the U.S. and our European allies.”
The beheadings of two American journalists have added new fire to demands from both parties for the administration to lay out a strategy against ISIS. The threat has become more imminent given that some Westerners have joined the terrorist group, and could easily bring its barbarism home.
If time is too short for Congress to vote on new war powers by the deadline, Obama can invoke a onetime, 30-day extension. That would be just after the Nov. 4 elections, pushing the debate into the lame-duck session.
That should not be part of the calculation. The time to build national consensus is now.
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