Arizona senator: Congress authorizing Obama to use force presents united US
Dec 11, 2015, 9:38 PM | Updated: 9:43 pm
FILE - In this July 23, 2015, file photo, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., arrives before Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, arrive to testify at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Flake, the lone Republican senator considering support for the Iran nuclear deal, announced plans to vote no on Aug. 15, dealing a significant blow to the White House’s efforts to garner bipartisan backing for the controversial accord. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The fight against the Islamic State group has not gotten any easier and after supporters of the extremist, terrorist organization carried out a deadly attack on U.S. soil, one Arizona senator is fighting to use the necessary force against the group.
Although Congress has not officially declared war against ISIS, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-AZ, is advocating to give President Barack Obama the authority to use any force necessary to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria through a bipartisan AUMF, also known as a Authorization for Use of Military Force.
Flake said since Congress has not authorized the president to take action, either through a declaration of war or an updated AUMF, the president is currently operating under an AUMF that was declared after 9/11.
“The Rand Corporation just came out and their analysis was it would take a constitutional gymnastics to try to justify going with that old AUMF,” Flake said in an interview with KTAR News’ Bruce St. James.
Flake said he introduced a new, bipartisan AUMF bill in the House in order to call among his colleagues in Congress to take action.
“Our troops need to know their government is behind them, our allies need to know we speak with one voice,” he said in an interview with KTAR News’ Bruce St. James. “It’s important for Congress to speak here.”
Flake said the provisions of the bill would give the president the authority to use all the necessary force needed to win the war but would include a purpose section to state the reason for the necessary force, such as aiding our allies and driving out and destroying ISIS.
The proposed AUMF would also have a three year limit before being debated, since many officials believe the “war against ISIS” will last long beyond the Obama administration.
Flake said the necessary force needed to destroy the Islamic State group should not require the use of troops on the ground.
A declaration of war has not been made since World War II, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attacks. Flake said he thinks declaring war would be unnecessary and too costly
“We had the Secretary of Defense (Ashton Carter) say in the past couple of weeks, ‘We are at war,'” he said in an interview with KTAR News’ Bruce St. James. “I think Congress ought to take the appropriate steps.”
