This week in defense: Senate panel to grill officials on ISIS war measure

The Senate Foreign Relations panel will hold a key hearing on President Obama’s proposed authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

On Wednesday, lawmakers will hear from Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey at the panel’s first hearing devoted to the president’s war powers request.

{mosads}Members on both sides of the aisle have criticized the proposal, specifically language that prohibits the use of U.S. troops in “enduring offensive ground combat operations.”

Democrats fear the vague text could open the door to another long-term U.S. ground presence in the Middle East, while Republicans argue the language could tie the hands of military commanders.

The hearing on the ISIS measure tops a busy week for senators who will tackle a variety of national security issues while the House is in recess.

The Senate Armed Services Committee kicks off the week on Tuesday morning when it convenes to examine the U.S. Navy’s fiscal 2016 budget request.

Members of the committee’s Emerging Threats subpanel will also receive a classified briefing from Pentagon officials on Tuesday afternoon about Iran’s military and intelligence activities.

John McCain (R-Ariz.), who chairs the full committee, and other GOP lawmakers have expressed concerns in recent weeks that Tehran’s influence is on the rise throughout the Middle East, especially in Iraq. Iranian forces are reportedly assisting Baghdad’s military in the fight against Islamic militants.

Around the same time on Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland about President Obama’s policy on Ukraine.

For months, lawmakers have called on the White House to give weapons to Kiev’s military to help it fight off Russian-back separatists. Obama has resisted such action so far, out of concern it would only further antagonize Moscow. But pressure is building on the administration to provide lethal aid.

On Thursday morning, the full Senate Armed Services Committee gathers again to hear from the chief of U.S. Northern and Southern commands about their budget request.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Policy Institute will host Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the Armed Services panel who has flirted with a 2016 bid, to a Capitol Hill event Thursday about growing threats around the globe.

Off Capitol Hill, on Monday morning, Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, will participate in a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) about Russian aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe.

On Friday, U.S. Navy leaders will appear at CSIS to talk about seapower strategy.

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