Here's what the President sent Congress yesterday:
Yesterday, President Obama transmitted to Congress a proposed authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF,
against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIL.
ISIL poses a threat to U.S. national security, which is why U.S. armed forces are already working with some 60 other
nations and partners to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. The President has said that we are strongest as a nation
when the President and Congress work together, and enacting a bipartisan AUMF against ISIL would provide a clear and
powerful signal that the United States stands united behind the efforts to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.
Take a look at the text of the letter he sent to Congress, below. Then learn more about exactly what an authorization of military force means for us.
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria, and
the broader Middle East, and to U.S. national security. It threatens American personnel and facilities located in the
region and is responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and
Kayla Mueller. If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States
homeland.
I have directed a comprehensive and sustained strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL. As part of this strategy, U.S.
military forces are conducting a systematic campaign of airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Although existing
statutes provide me with the authority I need to take these actions, I have repeatedly expressed my commitment to
working with the Congress to pass a bipartisan authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL.
Consistent with this commitment, I am submitting a draft AUMF that would authorize the continued use of military force
to degrade and defeat ISIL.
My Administration's draft AUMF would not authorize long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like those our Nation
conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Local forces, rather than U.S. military forces, should be deployed to conduct such
operations. The authorization I propose would provide the flexibility to conduct ground combat operations in other, more
limited circumstances, such as rescue operations involving U.S. or coalition personnel or the use of special operations
forces to take military action against ISIL leadership. It would also authorize the use of U.S. forces in situations
where ground combat operations are not expected or intended, such as intelligence collection and sharing, missions to
enable kinetic strikes, or the provision of operational planning and other forms of advice and assistance to partner
forces.
Although my proposed AUMF does not address the 2001 AUMF, I remain committed to working with the Congress and the
American people to refine, and ultimately repeal, the 2001 AUMF. Enacting an AUMF that is specific to the threat posed
by ISIL could serve as a model for how we can work together to tailor the authorities granted by the 2001 AUMF.
I can think of no better way for the Congress to join me in supporting our Nation's security than by enacting this
legislation, which would show the world we are united in our resolve to counter the threat posed by ISIL.
BARACK OBAMA
ENDS