Senator Collins' Statement Following Senate Approval Of Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released this statement after the Senate voted 78-22 to approve a Continuing Resolution and prevent a government shutdown.

“Today, I voted to keep the government open and prevent the disruption of federal services so critical to the lives of many Americans. The American people do not want dysfunction in Washington to lead to another harmful government shutdown like the one we experienced last year, and allowing that to happen would only further jeopardize our still struggling economy.

“I am disappointed, however, that Senate leaders did not allow a full debate or hold a vote on an Authorization for the Use of Military Force or the President’s overall strategy to confront the terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

“ISIL poses a serious threat to Iraq, to the region, to Americans both here at home and abroad, and to our allies as was demonstrated by the Australian plot uncovered today. We need an effective strategy that includes air strikes against ISIL, cutting off the group’s financing, military contributions from other countries in the Middle East, and robust counter-messaging from moderate Muslims around the world.

“This bill authorizes for a period of ten weeks just one component of the President’s overall strategy, which is to train and equip moderate, vetted members of the Syrian opposition to fight against ISIL. The provision makes it very clear that it does not “constitute a specific statutory authorization for the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities…” If the President intends to continue U.S. military strikes against ISIL, which he has said he plans to do, he should submit a specific request to Congress to do so. The Congress should then have a full debate with amendments and votes on an Authorization of the Use of Military Force, as it should have done today.

“I continue to have many unanswered questions about the President’s strategy, such as whether we can vet Syrian fighters sufficiently to ensure that we are not training, equipping, and arming Islamist extremists, including members of ISIL, who have infiltrated the Syrian opposition. This week, I wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry to express my concerns about the scope of the Administration’s proposal, the process for vetting members of the opposition, and what the Administration is doing to detect and disrupt plots from other terrorist groups intent on harming Americans.

“My support for the President’s overall strategy against ISIL will depend upon the answers I receive from Secretary Kerry and the President’s ability to prove that the Administration can build an effective coalition of allies against these terrorists.”

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