A group of 35 representatives from both parties of 35 House lawmakers sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan earlier today calling on him to schedule and debate an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) as quickly as possible following Obama's recent announcement that the US will be sending ground troops to Syria, deepening the entanglement in the conflict.
The letter was led by Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02), Tom Cole, (OK-04), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Walter Jones (NC-03), Peter Welch (VT-AL), and John Lewis (GA-05).
The additional signers consisted of 13 Democrats and 16 Republicans.
Here are the 13 Democrats:
David Cicilline (RI-01)
John Conyers (MI-13)
Joe Crowley (NY-14)
Pete DeFazio (OR-04)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Janice Hahn (CA-44)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
Daniel Kildee (MI-05)
Beto O’Rourke (TX-16)
Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Charlie Rangel (NY-13)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Louise Slaughter (NY-25)
Here are the 16 Republicans:
Justin Amash (MI-03)
Michael Burgess (TX-26)
John Culberson (TX-07)
Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)
Paul Gosar (AZ-04)
Richard Hanna (NY-22)
Raul Labrador (ID-01)
Tom Massie (KY-04)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)
Bill Posey (FL-08)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48)
Matt Salmon (AZ-05)
Mark Sanford (SC-01)
Ed Whitfield (KY-01)
Ted Yoho (FL-03)
Ryan Zinke (MT-AL)
And here is the text of the letter:
Dear Speaker Ryan,
Among the issues that require urgent attention by the U.S. House of Representatives is the question of the extant of involvement by the U.S. military in the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Given the recent announcement by President Obama of a deepening entanglement in Syria and Iraq, it is critical that the House schedule and debate an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) as quickly as possible.
Last week, the president announced initiatives that escalate U.S. engagement in combat operations in Syria and Iraq. Specifically, the U.S. will deploy a U.S. Special Operations contingent into northern Syria to be embedded with and to advise opposition militant forces in that region; and U.S. military advisors and special operations forces already in Iraq will be embedded with Kurdish and Iraqi forces on the front lines of combat. Secretary of Defense Carter also stated that U.S. air operations in both Syria and Iraq will increase their bombing campaigns. Taken all together, these represent a significant escalation in U.S. military operations in the region and place U.S. military personnel on the front lines of combat operations.
We do not share the same policy prescriptions for U.S. military engagement in the region, but we do share the belief that it is past time for the Congress to fulfill its obligations under the Constitution and vote on an AUMF that clearly delineates the authority and limits, if any, on U.S. military engagement in Iraq, Syria and the surrounding region. U.S. bombing campaigns have been going on for more than a year, and U.S. troops on the ground have been increasingly close to or drawn into combat operations, including the recent death in combat of a special operations soldier in Iraq.
Consistent with your pledge to return to regular order, we urge you to direct the committees of jurisdiction to draft and report out an AUMF as soon as possible. We do not believe in the illusion of a consensus authorization, something that only happens rarely. We do believe the Congress can no longer ask our brave service men and women to continue to serve in harm’s way while we fail in carrying out our constitutional responsibility in the area of war and peace.
As long as the House fails to assert its constitutional prerogatives and authority, the Administration may continue to expand the mission and level of engagement of U.S. Armed Forces throughout the region. We strongly urge you, Mr. Speaker, to bring an AUMF to the floor of the House as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,