Ernst co-sponsors new ISIS war authorization measure

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said Friday she is co-sponsoring a measure by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to authorize military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that would give the president “all necessary and appropriate force.” 

“For well over a year, ISIS has declared war on our nation and continues to threaten attacks against the American people, while committing devastating acts of terrorism across the globe,” Ernst said in a statement.  

{mosads}Progress on a a new authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) for the war against ISIS has stalled as members of Congress and the administration have pointed fingers at one another for not acting. 

Individual members and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has taken up the issue, and the White House earlier this year sent over a proposed AUMF, but Republicans said it was too restrictive and liberals said it was not restrictive enough. 

But on Thursday, Graham, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, introduced a resolution for an AUMF. The move comes after a string of ISIS attacks around the world, and a day after a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., that appeared to be ISIS-inspired. 

Ernst called the AUMF an “important step toward achieving a serious bipartisan solution to destroy ISIS and those radicalized by them.” 

“It is completely unacceptable that our Commander in Chief has failed to outline a comprehensive strategy to destroy ISIS,” she said. “We must preserve the safety and security of the American people, and that starts with our President making a commitment to destroy ISIS.”

Ernst and Graham, both military veterans, have called for more aggressive action against ISIS. Graham has called for 10,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Iraq and Syria each, as part of a larger regional ground force to go after the terrorist group. 

The new proposal would authorize the president to use all necessary and appropriate force against ISIS and associated forces, organizations and persons.  

It would also require the president to submit to Congress a progress report every 60 days.