Kaine offers bill to authorize force

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a proposal Wednesday authorizing President Obama to use military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) but barring ground troops except for rescue missions.

Kaine, perhaps the most outspoken voice among Senate Democrats calling for Congress to authorize action, is introducing the bill one day after Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey raised the possibility that ground troops could be used to fight ISIS.

{mosads}The proposal from Kaine would prevent that from happening, except for rescue missions, to protect Americans in imminent danger or in limited operations against high-value targets.

Kaine’s proposal would limit the president’s authority to use force for one year. It would also repeal the 2002 Iraq War authorization and would not authorize the use of force on “associated” forces of ISIS, unless they are immediately and directly fighting alongside ISIS in Iraq and Syria. 

The president would also have to report to Congress every 90 days on the progress of ISIS. 

Kaine’s argument is that it is the responsibility of Congress to debate and authorize military action.

“If Congress isn’t willing to do the hard work — to debate and vote on an authorization — we should not be asking our service members to go into harm’s way,” said Kaine, a former Democratic National Committee chairman seen as close to Obama. 

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on an amendment authorizing a program in which the U.S. would arm and train moderate Syrian rebels to fight ISIS.

The bill would not authorize further military action, despite cries from some lawmakers for Congress to do so. It appears a vote on a new authorization of force could happen after the midterm elections.

The administration has been using the 2001 authorization of military force approved after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as its legal basis for airstrikes against ISIS and the deployment of military advisers to Iraq.

Obama has repeatedly ruled out the use of ground troops against ISIS, but Dempsey testified Tuesday that there could be a need for such troops and that it would be taken on a “case-by-case” basis.