Kaine statement on Senate committee move to debate, vote on ISIL response

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez’s decision to hold a hearing on the U.S. mission against ISIL next Monday, December 8 and a markup and vote on an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) onWednesday, December 10:

“We will now have the opportunity to engage in a meaningful, transparent debate on the U.S. military mission against ISIL, as I’ve been calling for since military action began nearly four months ago. We owe it to our servicemembers and the American people to have this debate and take this vote before adjourning for the year, and I’m pleased we’re on track to do so in the right way, ”said Kaine, who delivered related remarks on the Senate floor yesterday.

Since June, Kaine has been urging the administration to seek a specific authorization for military action against ISIL while pressing his Congressional colleagues to debate and vote on the mission. In September, Kaine introduced a draft authorization that supports the mission laid out by President Obama but includes four key provisions: 1)  a strict limitation on U.S. ground combat troops; 2) a repeal of the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force; 3) a sunset after one year; and 4) a narrow definition of “associated forces.”