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link to www.airforcetimes.com]
President Obama on Wednesday said he wants this Congress in its final weeks to formally approve US strikes against the Islamic State group.
Speaking from the White House’s East Room the day after his Democratic Party was hammered by voters, Obama suggested the 113th Congress’ final two months will be busy ones.
Lawmakers will try to pass a massive spending measure to keep the government funded into the next calendar year and finish some form of a must-pass Pentagon policy bill. There is also a slew of Obama nominees that Senate Democrats want to confirm before they relinquish control. Obama added to that list on Wednesday.
The embattled chief executive told reporters he will send Congress a request for more than $6 billion to help personnel and military troops carry out “a comprehensive strategy” that he said would be tailored to “contain and end the Ebola outbreak.”
Obama also announced he is sending lawmakers a resolution to authorize military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, something he opted against doing in the weeks before Congress left for a seven-week campaign recess.
Such a formal approval for the strikes is needed, Obama said, to show the country is “unified” in fighting the violent Sunni group.
Obama said he will meet with congressional leaders on Friday, and the fight against the Islamic State would be a top agenda item. Central Command chief Gen. Lloyd Austin will brief the congressional leaders, Obama said.
He told reporters the idea is to “right size and update” the post-9/11 measure “to suit the current fight rather than [past] fights.”
Obama called the Islamic State a “different kind of enemy,” and America’s changed partnerships with countries like Iraq make it appropriate to update the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF).
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link to en.m.wikipedia.org]
Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists
The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), Pub. L. 107-40, codified at 115 Stat. 224 and passed as S.J.Res. 23 by the United States Congress on September 14, 2001, authorizes the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001. The authorization granted the President the authority to use all "necessary and appropriate force" against those whom he determined "planned, authorized, committed or aided" the September 11th attacks, or who harbored said persons or groups. The AUMF was signed by President George W. Bush on September 18, 2001.
Text of the AUMFEdit
Preamble
Joint Resolution
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.
Whereas, on September 11, 2001, acts of treacherous violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and
Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad; and
Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence; and
Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States
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