Congressional efforts to update the president’s ability to battle terrorist groups are running into resistance from Democrats and anti-war groups worried about the Donald Trump administration’s hawkish turn.
While lawmakers of both parties have long sought to update the 2001 law that has served as the legal underpinning for war on terrorism operations around the globe, critics worry the latest effort inadvertently increases rather than limits the president’s military powers. Some even argue that the bill from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., could even be used to justify attacking Iran.