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Following the beheading of a second American journalist at the hands of the Islamic State, members of Virginia’s congressional delegation are pushing for a stronger U.S. military response against the militants.

Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-10th, said Wednesday that he plans to introduce legislation when Congress reconvenes next week that would authorize the use of military force against groups including the Islamic State, al-Qaida and its affiliates Boko Haram, al-Shabab and other terrorist organizations.

Wolf said in a news release he was “compelled to introduce the measure because of the rapid advances made by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, as well as territorial gains made by al-Qaida-affiliated groups in Libya, Nigeria and Somalia.” ISIS is the acronym for an alternate name for the Islamic State.

President Barack Obama’s cautious approach — especially his comments from last week that the administration does not yet have a strategy on how to deal with Islamic State— has been criticized by Republicans and some Democrats, including Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence.