Most will agree that there can be no future for Syria with Assad in power.

When I think of the benefit that we could have had in the United States not to be faced with this refugee crisis, the benefit to Europe if we had given Syrians a place where they could live in their own country safely, away from these…

The fact is that what matters is that the strategy is failing.

This is now a war, into the 10th month, without a clear legal basis.

Moderate Syrian Opposition forces require significant external support if they are to generate the required combat power.

If the President had not started a bombing campaign on August 8th near Irbil, we might not be here today.

The option of Coalition boots on the ground should be retained as we seek to build our understanding of opposition groups.

Do we have the political and policy backdrop with which to do so?

Many of us believe that the goal the President laid out, quote, "to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL" is right.

Congress to this point has decided that the budget caps enacted in August 2011 is a higher national priority than defeating ISIL.

A political solution in which Assad stays in power, is that acceptable to you?

There has not been a declaration of war, there's not been an authorization for use of military force.

If we want to get it behind us and defeat ISIL and get peace in Syria, I think that's going to be necessary, yeah.

Ultimately, it's not that we are doing nothing to counter ISIL, it is that there is no compelling reason to believe that anything we are currently doing will be sufficient to achieve our strategic objective.

We've been at war since August 8.

We do not want to have a debate and vote because we do not want to put our names on it.

I do not believe that there is any reasonable prospect that it will be possible to retake Mosul this year.

There is no evidence that Congress is concerned at all about ISIL.

This is unacceptable, from a moral perspective and from a U.S. national security perspective.

It's Congress that's the spectators.

It's just not supposed to be that way.

I harshly criticize the administration for not sending in a draft authorization over right when they started this legal action.

I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 19, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room SD-406 of the…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 19, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room SR-253 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a…

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 19, 2015, 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The PRESIDING OFFICER…