Corker Comments on President Obama’s Address to the Nation

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today commented on his expectations in advance of President Obama’s address to the nation tonight on U.S. plans to combat the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). Although reports indicate the administration feels the president “has the authority he needs” to act without Congress, Corker said he believes the president should seek congressional authorization.

“What is beyond belief to me is that, in spite of [feeling he has the authority he needs], he still is not coming to Congress,” said Corker. “If you look back at recent history, in 1991 President Bush, 41, felt like he had the authorities, but he knew it was important to come to Congress and actually get congressional buy-in, to get the nation to buy-in to what was happening. Bush, 43, did the same thing in 2001 in Afghanistan. He did the same thing in 2002 in Iraq.”

“I just think when you’re considering taking on something that, by his [President Obama’s] own words, might take three years to do, when you’re going to take us into another country, Syria, where we have not been engaged in military activity, regardless of what he feels about what his own authorities are, I think it’s lacking in judgment not to come to Congress to get Congress to buy-in.”

Corker also commented on the threat of terrorism as we approach the 13th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

“This is the most brutal, demonic, grotesque group of terrorists that we’ve ever dealt with,” said Corker. “We have to be vigilant. I hope tonight the president will lay something out that’s not, as he’s mentioned before, something that just ‘manages’ the problem, but really deals with this problem in the essence and ensures that as we move ahead we do everything we can to ensure that Americans are safe.”