The legislation also requires Chuck Hagel send a report 15 days before arming rebels. House GOP drafting Syria language

House Republicans want to keep the Obama administration on a short leash when it comes to arming and training Syrian rebels.

The legislation that the GOP is drafting to give the White House authority to provide military support to the Free Syria Army will require the Obama administration to send a progress report to Congress every 90 days, according to senior Capitol Hill sources and a draft of the resolution obtained by POLITICO.


The legislation will also mandate that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel send a report to Congress 15 days before arming or training the rebels.

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President Barack Obama is looking for buy-in from Congress on his plan to confront the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has seized control of large regions in Syria and western Iraq. Obama and other Western leaders, joined by Arab governments, now view the group as a major threat, and the United States has launched dozens of air strikes against its forces inside Iraq.

However, the GOP proposal explicitly states that it does not give Obama authority to send U.S. forces into combat, or anywhere where they could face combat, a key concern from House and Senate lawmakers in both parties. Obama would have to submit to Congress a separate “Authorization to Use Military Force” in order to win approval for any sustained military operations using America personnel.

“Nothing in this section shall be construed to constitute a specific statutory authorization for the introduction of United States’ Armed Forces into hostilities or into situations where hostilities are clearly indicated by circumstances,” the Republican-drafted legislation states.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has floated a proposed AUMF to confront ISIL, giving Obama 18 months authority to conduct military operations against the group. Schiff’s proposal would also “sunset” authorizations approved by Congress after 9/11 and in 2002 for the invasion of Iraq. Obama is using those resolutions as his legal authority to mount operations against ISIL now - and the White House would likely oppose any efforts to repeal them - but some senators and members want to end that authority.

In addition, there is significant concern on Capitol Hill in how the “vetting” of rebel fighters will take place, and who exactly the United States would be provide training and equipment to under this operation. White House aides and congressional staffers negotiated extensively over the issue throughout the weekend. Lawmakers are worried that rebels who have ties to ISIL or other terrorist organizations may end up being provided weapons or training.

But Hill aides said the basic outlines of Obama’s request are something Congress has dealt with repeatedly over the last 13 years.

“We have done a lot of training and equipping since 9/11,” noted a senior House Armed Services Committee involved in drafting the legislation. “This is not something new, at least in concept.”

There is no plan yet for a House vote on the legislation, but a vote is expected this week. Senior congressional aides say they hope to finalize the measure Monday, as long as Democrats and the White House sign off on it. Republicans will most likely offer their new proposal as an amendment to the CR.

The resolution only authorizes the president to arm and train the rebels until the CR expires. More permanent authority will be included in the 2015 Defense authorization. A senior House Armed Services Committee aide said it might take six months to get this program up and running.