Congress should debate and vote on the use of military force against the terrorist Islamic State organization, as called for by Connecticut's congressional delegation and others.

Too many other members of Congress, however, would rather not be on the record. They prefer only to criticize if things go wrong. No wonder Congress' approval rating hovers near zero.

Connecticut's senators and representatives are to be commended in calling for debate.

It's been 13 years since Congress last gave the president authority to go to war. That vote preceded the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Congress also gave President George W. Bush war-making authority in 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Conditions have changed. So has the enemy. The United States has been conducting an air war against the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Iraq and Syria that has made some progress but can't seem to knock out ISIS. The U.S. has been pulled into Syria's civil war. Russian troops and planes are operating in Syria to prop up dictator Bashar al-Assad, whom Washington wants to topple.

And now President Barack Obama has stationed up to 50 special operations troops on the ground in Syria. Will the first 50 lead to more?

It's time for Congress, which has the constitutional authority, to weigh in.

As U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said, "Congress is putting itself out of business when it comes to foreign policy if we don't debate it."

Congress should thoroughly debate scope, cost and endgame of what has become America's longest — and seemingly endless — war and, with the president, find a way out of the morass.