After Hearing, Authorization of War Against ISIS Uncertain

During a hearing Wednesday with top Obama administration officials, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee made clear their desire to debate and pass an authorization for the use of military force against ISIS. At the same time, however, it’s clear that stark divisions remain over the language of such an authorization.

Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before the panel to make the case for the White House’s proposed authorization. President Obama sent the AUMF language to Capitol Hill last month, but a large number of senators on both sides of the aisle immediately took issue with the proposal. Wednesday’s hearing rehashed those concerns.

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