Authorities for Military Operations Against Terrorist Groups2016

"The United States has been undertaking counterterrorism operations against current threats under authorizations established in 2001 and 2002. Relying on this legislation is far from ideal, however, and Congress could update these authorizations to better reflect the current counterterrorism challenge. In early 2015, the Obama administration submitted its own draft authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) to Congress, the content of which has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle. U.S. interests also face a developing threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The need to dismantle the group's terrorist and military capacity has gained new urgency, and it presents an opportunity for Congress to weight in. This report surveys the main lines of debate over...