FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Congressional Hearing on Military Force Against ISIS

Original title: [H.A.S.C. No. 114-13] OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES ON THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSED AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND THE LEVANT

January 1, 2016

military force ISIS foreign policy congressional oversight national security

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing represents the legislative process for determining the legal scope and duration of U.S. military involvement against ISIS, which directly impacts the executive branch's authority to conduct combat operations.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Military Personnel

The authorization of military force dictates the scope and legal basis for their combat operations.

Executive Branch

The AUMF defines the legal boundaries of the President's power to engage in military conflict.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Armed Services held a hearing on February 26, 2015, to review the President's proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force () against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (). The committee heard expert testimony regarding the legal and strategic implications of authorizing military action against the group.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on February 26, 2015, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The committee reviewed the President's proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIS.
The stated objective of the administration, as quoted by Chairman Thornberry, is to degrade and destroy ISIL.
Chairman Thornberry noted that an AUMF is an authorization for force, not a comprehensive military strategy.
The hearing included testimony from three outside experts: GEN Jack Keane (Ret.), Robert M. Chesney, and Benjamin Wittes.
The committee record includes a letter submitted by General James N. Mattis.
The hearing is identified as H.A.S.C. No. 114-13.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AUMF?

An stands for Authorization for the Use of Military Force; it is a legal document passed by Congress that grants the President the authority to use military force against a specific enemy.

Who testified at this hearing?

The witnesses were retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane, law professor Robert M. Chesney, and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

AUMF vs. Strategy

The Chairman explicitly distinguished between the legal authorization for force (AUMF) and the underlying military strategy, highlighting a common point of friction in congressional oversight.

William M. Thornberry Barack Obama

Connected Entities

personWilliam M. Thornberry“Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services”Map →

personBenjamin Wittes“Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution and hearing witness”Map →

personJack Keane“Retired U.S. Army General and hearing witness”Map →

organizationHouse Committee on Armed Services“Congressional committee conducting the hearing”Map →

personBarack Obama“President of the United States at the time of the hearing”Map →

personRobert M. Chesney“Professor of Law and hearing witness”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy60
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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