Hensarling Statement on McKeon Amendment

WASHINGTON—U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), a leading conservative and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement after voting to authorize limited authority for the president to vet, train, and equip a competent ground force comprised of Syrian rebels to combat the growing threat of the Islamic State in the region and around the world:

“There is perhaps no greater threat facing our nation today than that of radical Islam. There is perhaps no group of Islamic terrorists more brutal, more organized, more equipped, or more capable of launching attacks on the United State and our interests abroad than the Islamic State. They are no ‘JV team,’ and every day we go without a clear and decisive foreign policy allows them to grow stronger.

“After months of downplaying the threat posed by radical Islamists in Iraq and Syria, I applaud President Obama for finally for coming before the American people to acknowledge the true threat this extremely dangerous enemy represents and to lay out his plan to stop them. Unfortunately, the strategy outlined by the president is partial and incomplete. Grave concerns have been raised about the ability of airstrikes to succeed without competent and reliable ground forces, and serious questions remain about the reliability of opposition forces in Syria necessary to carry out the president’s strategy. While I share those concerns, I feel it is important to stop the immediate threat of the Islamic State. Today’s vote gives the president very limited and temporary authority to do so while affirming the important role of Congress in determining our nation’s foreign and national security policy.

“While the vote taken by the House today is an important first step, it is not the final step. Nor does it guarantee success, which will only be determined by President Obama’s ability to carry out the mission authorized by this vote. Ultimately, the president must lay out a comprehensive plan to defeat the Islamic State that is grounded in sound military strategy, not political calculation, and then he must bring that plan before Congress and the American people for approval.”

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