U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced legislation on Wednesday that would require presidential administrations to report to Congress on detailed strategies to defeat ISIL.
The Comprehensive Strategy to Destroy ISIL Act, H.R. 4869, would require White House officials to report to Congress every two years on strategies to defeat the terrorist group.
“The horrific attacks in Brussels (on Tuesday) remind us all how very real the threat of ISIS continues to be on our safety and freedoms,” Kinzinger said. “As a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I believe national security is our paramount concern. When it comes to the threat of radical jihadism, I take very seriously the importance of implementing an effective and coherent strategy to destroy ISIL. This demonic terror organization is not the ‘JV Team.’ This legislation puts pressure on the president, and any future president, to lay out a plan of action to Congress.”
Under the bill, strategies to defeat ISIL would be required to focus on the progress of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, a strategic plan to deploy military forces against ISIL and to strengthen allies in the region. The use of social media and other communication platforms to counter ISIL propaganda and recruitment would also be a priority.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), a retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander, is an original cosponsor of Kinzinger’s bill.
“I served in Iraq,” Zinke said. “President Obama’s policy in Iraq created power vacuums and is responsible for the rise and spread of ISIS and the refugee crisis. The continual terrorist attacks around the globe will not stop until the United States gets serious about defeating and destroying ISIS, and that requires a detailed strategy. Any plan the president delivers must give our troops the right rules of engagement to win, and win decisively on the field of battle. The president has ignored ISIS since day one. If we don’t get serious about the threats we face, it’s only a matter of time before they attack America again.”