The push comes amid debate over whether President Donald Trump should strike Syria for a suspected chemical weapons attack. | Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Senators crafting new guidelines for Trump’s war powers Congress would win some checks on the president’s authority under a bipartisan Senate plan.

President Donald Trump would have broad authority to wage war against terrorists across the globe under a new proposal being crafted in the Senate — though Congress would win some key checks on his power.

According to a summary obtained by POLITICO, the proposed bipartisan authorization of the use of military force would cover all terrorist groups that the United States is currently engaged with and do nothing to restrict operations against those groups. The authorization would also not restrict the president from taking immediate action against enemies in new hot spots, although all new conflicts would be subject to congressional reviews.


No final decision has been made on the authorization’s language pending sign off from senators in both parties. But the summary reflects the latest thinking in a bipartisan effort to finally force Congress to vote on issues of war and peace.

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The war authorization being discussed by senators would replace two previous open-ended authorizations of the use of military force from the George W. Bush presidency. Critics say those AUMFs have been twisted to underpin military action far from Afghanistan and Iraq, where Congress initially gave Bush authority to send troops in 2001 and 2003.

The push also comes amid debate over whether Trump should strike Syria for a suspected chemical weapons attack.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) has been working closely with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on writing the first new AUMF in more than 15 years. Corker and Kaine declined comment through spokespeople.

The proposed authorization would allow new targeted terrorist groups to be added to the authorization in future years, but Congress would be given an opportunity to reject them.

And notably, the authorization would prod Congress to take up a new war authorization every four years, in an effort to avoid using the same AUMFs indefinitely as Washington has done for the last 15 years. The measure would require lawmakers to vote on a new war resolution, but if it failed, the older AUMF would remain in force.

The committee is expected to vote on the new war authorization later this month. But even if it is approved in committee, there is no guarantee from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that it will come to the floor.