John Kerry

The President is the Commander in Chief.

I think this committee seeks that sort of Presidential leadership on a matter of this magnitude.

Are we going to suggest that any group out there has the right to veto your authorization of use of force because they changed their name? That would be ridiculous.

We believe that the fighting alongside language that has been interpreted out of the 2001 AUMF is important to a full explanation of how we can fight this effectively.

Not at this moment, no.

What we get for a vote here is a very important part of what we are trying to achieve.

This is the fight of the generation. That is what I believe certainly, and President Obama believes it.

Congress always has the ability to cut off money for something.

That shift is beginning to take place. It is beginning to take place.

I think this Congress needs to be more actively engaged in being accountable for authorizing this conduct.

I am not in favor of that limitation without the ability to have the renewal.

I do not think anybody wants to get into a long-term ground operation here.

Essential to the ability to be able to be successful in Iraq will be inclusivity of the Sunni population.

We need to make sure that, you know, there is a balance here between the President's rights as Commander in Chief and the military's ability to implement and achieve our goal.

It is not worth it to get something that so limits our President in his options...

There will be a review of some kind, and that is what we ought to sit down and work out.

I cannot imagine why that cannot be worked out.

I do disagree with you with respect, and respectfully, that the 2001 AUMF does not authorize this, and let me just tell you why.

There is no question that we authorized this government to go after al-Qaeda wherever they were.

A bold bipartisan mandate would strengthen our hand.

I think everybody ought to try to help find the way to work that through, and in the doing so, we can ensure that we have the kind of broad-based bipartisan resolution that we deserve.

I assure you, President Obama, who served on this committee for, you know, 4 years and Senator Biden, then-Senator Biden, now Vice President, who served on this committee for about, what is it, you know, 30 years or near, both are huge…

So now you are telling me we have a strategy to defeat Bashar Assad, and we have a strategy to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

I would respectfully say that when my colleagues here are saying that the President needs to show more leadership...

He has the authority constitutionally, and he has the authority with respect to the 2001 AUMF.