Nine months in, Congress mute on Obama’s war against the Islamic State

A small group of U.S. lawmakers is making what may be their last attempt to get Congress to vote on explicitly authorizing a military campaign against the Islamic State. They will have to overcome an unhelpful White House that insists it already has all the authority it needs, wary Republican leaders who don’t seem especially keen to put a GOP stamp of approval on Obama’s war, and a U.S. public that isn’t too keen on Congress to stepping in. But for those like Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who want to see a vote on an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), it’s a must-have debate about whether Congress will passively accept that the president — any president, including the one chosen in 2016 — can deploy American forces for combat overseas anytime, anyplace, without lawmakers’ input, writes Yahoo Politics’ Olivier Knox.

We’re setting a horrendous precedent for the future and really shirking our constitutional duty.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee

There is bipartisan agreement on two things at least. First, the AUMF proposal Obama grudgingly submitted six months after the fighting began can’t pass in its current form. Second, the White House has washed its hands of the debate. However, Senate passage is hardly a sure thing, in part because the chamber’s packed spring schedule does not leave much room for tackling such a difficult and divisive issue. And success there would still set the stage for a fight in the House of Representatives.

Politics AUMF