After 9/11, ﻿ then-Vice President Dick Cheney had favored pre-emptive military strikes against potentially threatening nations or organizations.

Since June, Kaine has pushed the White House to seek congressional authorization for using military force against the Islamic State. Last week, he introduced legislation that would limit such actions to one year — forcing Congress to renew it — and that would not allow the use of combat troops on the ground.

“The president shouldn’t be doing this without Congress,” Kaine said Tuesday. “The initiation for military action must come from Congress; the Constitution is very clear on that.”

The framers understood clearly that the president as commander in chief would have a solemn obligation to defend the nation immediately, especially if Congress is in recess, Kaine said. Without sanction by Congress, he said, the president cannot go beyond the line of defense.

“Constitutionally, the matter is clear. The president does not have Article II power to go on offense against ISIL unless they are involved in an actual ongoing or imminent threat against the U.S., and there is no evidence that they are, as indicated by other administration testimony,” Kaine said.