W.H.: ‘There’s No Debating’ 2001 AUMF Allows Us To Send Troops into Syria

WELKER: “I want to ask you one more question, Josh. Does the president have the moral authority to put U.S. forces in Syria, Senator Angus King said earlier today the war’s not authorized, making the point that the AUMF still has yet to pass through Congress. Do you need to redouble your efforts to try to get that pass at Congress?”

EARNEST: “Well, that’s a great question, Kristen and here’s the answer to it. The answer simply is that Congress in 2001 did give the executive branch authorization to take this action and there’s no debating that. What the president has said he would welcome, is Congress passing an authorization to use military force. To be more specific about what exactly they are authorizing. So it’s not just the president would welcome Congress taking that step, the administration actually wrote the bill for him. We wrote our own piece of legislation that congress could pass, that would give the administration more specific authority to carry out our counter-ISIL campaign, but we didn’t stop there. The president of the United States sent some of his top foreign policy advisers, national security advisers, to Congress. To testify under oath in open hearings to explain to Congress what was included in the legislation and why they should pass it. And after all those efforts, the president saying he would welcome Congress’ voice in this debate, saying that the administration — having the administration actually write the legislation to send it up to congress, so that congress could pass it, sending the secretary of state, his secretary of defense and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff to testify before Congress about why they should pass this legislation. And what’s Congress done? Nothing. So, I don’t know when Congress is going to meet again. I know they often take Fridays off and often take Mondays off. So maybe on Tuesday, they can have a meeting and a discussion about what should be on their agenda. And I’ve got — I’ve got an idea about what should be at the top of it. Jim?”