Republican congressional leaders were quick to dismiss Jim McGovern's (pictured) proposal. House could be forced to debate war against ISIL

Rep. Jim McGovern, calling Congress “the poster child for cowardice,” is taking advantage of an obscure provision to force the House to debate the 10-month-old war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The Massachusetts Democrat took to the House floor Thursday to introduce a bipartisan resolution under the provisions of the War Powers Resolution, which would require a full debate within 15 days on whether U.S. troops should withdraw from Iraq and Syria.


He cited Congress’ failure to authorize the U.S.-led air campaign against the militant group, along with some 3,000 military advisers to help train Iraqi troops.

“Frankly speaking, this is unacceptable,” McGovern said, saying that if Congress “doesn’t have the stomach” to authorize the war it should vote to bring U.S. forces home.

His resolution is co-sponsored by Reps. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).

“This House appears to have no problem sending our uniformed men and women into harm’s way. It appears to have no problem spending billions of dollars for the arms, equipment and air power to carry out these wars. But it just can’t bring itself to step up to the plate and take responsibility for these wars,” McGovern said in prepared remarks. “Congress is the poster child for cowardice.”

“Just yesterday, Gen. John Allen, the U.S. envoy for the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIL, said that this fight may take ‘a generation or more,’” McGovern went on. “If we are going to invest a generation or more of our blood and our treasure in this war, then shouldn’t Congress at least debate whether or not to authorize it?”

“Every single hour the taxpayers of the United States are paying $3.42 million for military actions against the Islamic State. $3.42 million every hour,” he declared.

The War Powers Resolution requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action. It also requires the troops be brought home after 90 days without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war — a requirement that has largely been ignored over the decades since it was adopted after the Vietnam War.

An aide described the procedure McGovern is relying on to force such a debate this way:

“The way it works, the clock would start tomorrow and there would then be 15 calendar days for the House Foreign Affairs Committee to act. If they fail to act, the resolution can then be brought up for a vote once it has ‘ripened’ the week of June 22, specifically on the first day of session that week, June 23.”

At the urging of members of both parties, President Barack Obama sent Congress a proposed authorization for the use of military force in February, but because of deep disagreements in both parties neither the House nor Senate has taken action.

Jones, who represents Fort Bragg, cited in his floor remarks Thursday Congress’ war-making authority in the Constitution.

“The House has a responsibility to the men and women in uniform and the American people,” he said.

After McGovern outlined his proposal on the House floor, Republican congressional leaders were quick to dismiss it.

“This is nothing new for Rep. McGovern. He routinely tries to use the War Powers Act to make political points, no matter the cost to our troops and the safety of the American people,” said one GOP leadership aide. “The leaders have made clear the president’s AUMF request is unacceptable, but they have not ruled out debating a more robust plan if the president continues to shirk his duties as commander-in-chief.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Committee said it would “review” the resolution, but that Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) could not support it.

“The committee will continue working to authorize the fight against ISIS,” the spokesperson said. “The administration’s current policy clearly isn’t working. We still need more information from the administration.”