Dem whip urges quick vote on war powers

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is calling on GOP leaders to schedule a quick vote on the use of force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The Maryland Democrat emphasized that he thinks President Obama has the authority “to do what he’s doing” against ISIS under existing war authorization resolutions, adopted in 2001 and 2002.

“It is appropriate, however, to adopt a new authorization of the use of military force,” Hoyer said Tuesday during a press briefing in the Capitol. “And I think we ought to do that as quickly as we can.”

Hoyer suggested the bill should be on the House floor in March.

{mosads}The comments arrive one day before President Obama is expected to present Congress with a new authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against ISIS.

The move to adopt a new AUMF has wide bipartisan support. But the devil will be in the details, as many lawmakers are anxious about the timeline, the geographic sweep and any limits on the scope of the operations, including boots on the ground.

The AUMF could put Hoyer and other Democratic leaders in a tough spot. On one hand, they don’t want to tie Obama’s hands in the fight against ISIS; on the other, they’ll likely face a liberal revolt if the force resolution doesn’t explicitly rule out the possibility of sending U.S. troops into Iraq and Syria.

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) predicted recently that “a significant majority” of Democrats would oppose an AUMF that allowed for boots on the ground.

Hoyer on Tuesday acknowledged that most members want specific limits to govern the new AUMF, but he also stressed the need to give the administration latitude.

“We need to give the president sufficient flexibility that he can accomplish the objectives that he set forth,” Hoyer said.

Those objectives include nothing short of the need “to defeat and to eliminate from the field … an organization that is causing carnage, terror and death,” he added.

Citing the gravity of the issue, Hoyer said he wants to see a robust debate on the new AUMF, including examinations at the committee level.

“But,” he added, “I think we ought to bring it to the floor relatively soon, which I think we can do in March.”