Senators Make Push on Islamic State War Authorization

WASHINGTON—Some senators are making a last-ditch push to force a December debate on U.S. military operations against Islamic State militants, though a congressional vote authorizing the use of military force remains unlikely until 2015.

Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) on Wednesday introduced a resolution declaring war against Islamic State, saying Congress has to fulfill its constitutional duty to declare war. “Right now, this war is illegal until Congress acts,” Mr. Paul said.

Sens. Tim Kaine (D., Va.) and Angus King (I., Maine) also pressed the issue in Senate floor speeches, urging the Congress not to leave Washington for the year before asserting its role in authorizing military operations.

“Let’s not make any mistake about this, America is at war. The number of air and ground troops deployed is steadily creeping upward every day. Our troops are dying, and the fiscal cost to American taxpayers is growing,” Mr. Kaine said.

A group of outspoken lawmakers has for several months called on Congress to vote on U.S. military operations to combat the militant group’s advance in Iraq and some have hoped for a vote during the postelection lame duck session.

The White House has said it has the authority to conduct ongoing airstrikes and other limited operations, a position congressional leaders have generally shown deference to despite the concerns of some rank-and-file members. Aides from both parties have said it is more likely Congress will address the issue when lawmakers return next year and Republicans control both chambers of Congress.

A failure to vote would represent “one more giving away of our constitutional authority” by lawmakers, Mr. King said. “For us to go home, to take a recess, to say, ’We don’t really want to be talking about this, we don’t want to be responsible for this,’ I think is unfair to the American people.”

Those hoping to force an authorization vote have a dwindling number of options available over the next week. Supporters had signaled they would try to offer a military force authorization as an amendment to a broader measure dictating Pentagon policy, but Senate authors of the defense bill are opposed.

“At this point, there is no way that we can resolve disputes about which amendments should be debated, debate them, overcome potential filibusters, and still get the job done,” Sens. Carl Levin (D., Mich.) and James Inhofe (R., Okla.) said in a joint written statement.

With few other “must-do” pieces of legislation up in Congress over the next two weeks, supporters of an authorization vote may have to get creative, aides said. One possibility would be to try and amend an unrelated bill, a Senate aide said. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday is scheduled to consider a water sanitation measure that could present such an opportunity, the aide said.

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