Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said Tuesday Congress needs to take its responsibility to authorize military action more seriously and if it doesn’t, it’ll set a precedent for future White House administrations to attempt to bypass congressional authorization.
Speaking at the Center for American Progress, the Virginia Democrat said Congress needs to have a stronger debate over President Obama’s proposed military action to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and to arm Syrian rebels. Kaine has argued that Congress should draft a military authorization along the lines Obama laid out earlier this month to take down the Islamic State. Additionally, Kaine said Congress needs to start a deeper conversation about how the process of military authorization should go.
Kaine added that if Congress would take its responsibility more seriously, it may also increase its approval ratings with the American public.
