With the murder of another innocent civilian over the weekend, the need to dismantle and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has grown stronger and now is one of our top priorities for keeping America safe.
This week, the House voted on an amendment that will allow the Secretary of Defense to work with the Secretary of State to provide training, equipment and supplies to vetted members of the Syrian opposition as requested by the president. This authorization does not provide additional funds, but it does give the Department of Defense the opportunity to come back to Congress and request more resources if needed. The amendment includes very important oversight language to ensure Congress and the American people remain informed every step of the way. What was considered this week does not authorize more extensive American engagement, including whether to put boots on the ground. If it becomes necessary to send American soldiers into combat, I believe Congress should hold an up-or-down vote on a separate authorization. Still, this has been one of the most difficult decisions of my three terms in Congress, complicated by the fact that in this fight there are no “good guys.” I reluctantly supported this measure, however, because I believe that ISIL is a direct threat to Americans.
While ISIL has only risen to headlines in the United States in recent months, this jihadist group has long been seeking to establish an Islamic state in the region known as the Levant, which encompasses parts of Syria, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. These radical terrorists are spreading unrest and instability throughout the region. If ISIL continues to grow in strength, it will threaten America like al Qaeda before it, and we know the group intends to raise their flag over the White House. We should take this stated intention very seriously.
On September 10, President Obama finally laid out his four-part plan to address this rapidly deteriorating situation. First, he called for expanded airstrikes against ISIL in both Iraq and Syria. Next, President Obama vowed to send a small number of servicemembers to Iraq to assess the situation on the ground and how we can best support the Iraqis. The president also requested that Congress authorize additional resources to help train the Syrian opposition. Third, the president said he would mobilize the international community and draw on assistance from our global partners to defeat these terrorists. Finally, President Obama vowed to continue humanitarian assistance to the civilians who have been displaced by ISIL.
In my judgment, the president’s plan doesn’t go far enough to root out this evil. Air power is an effective tool in the larger fight against ISIL, but it will take a sustained effort to defeat an enemy driven by an ideology of hate, and I fear the president is trying to do only the bare minimum possible to confront the enemy. Furthermore, arming Syrian rebels is risky and I am not convinced we will be able to do this in a way that can effectively combat ISIL.
With that being said, doing nothing should not and cannot be an option. We can’t stand by and allow ISIL to grow into the type of threat al Qaeda became to America. I am voting to give the president these resources because, in the absence of a president who desires more effective engagement, the alternative is watching this terrorist group grow unfettered, threatening America and killing innocent civilians, journalists and aid workers along their path of destruction.
Please rest assured I will continue to monitor this issue and support measures that will ensure these terrorists are no longer a threat to the United States and our allies.
Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family.
