WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, released the following statement after today’s full committee hearing titled, “The President’s Request for Authorization to Use Force Against ISIS: Military and Diplomatic Efforts”, during which Secretary of State John F. Kerry, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, served as witnesses.

I left today’s hearing feeling both reassured and troubled at the same time. I agree with the limited, thoughtful approach for defeating ISIL laid out by Secretaries Kerry and Carter at today’s Foreign Relations hearing. They rightly pointed out that a ground war led by U.S. troops would ultimately undermine our long-term objectives in the region; instead, the tailored coalition-led strategy they outline for combatting ISIL is the right approach. Simultaneously, though, they argued for the broadest possible authorization in carrying out that strategy that would allow the next Administration to put large numbers of combat troops back into the Middle East. Quite frankly, this makes no sense.

Congress should give the executive the explicit authority to effectively carry out every aspect of the strategy they laid out today. But if this President or any future president seeks to change that strategy or escalate U.S. military engagement, the administration must come back to Congress and defend its decision to do so. Ground troops won't win this war, and it's the responsibility of Congress to authorize not just a strategy to fight ISIL, but a winning strategy."