Does Obama Need Congress' OK For Isis Action? It Depends, Says Temple U. Prof
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's an ongoing debate over whether President Obama needs authority from Congress to launch additional military action against the terror group known as "Isis."
Dr. Sean Yom, who teaches political science at Temple University, says whether or not President Obama needs Congressional approval all depends on how he frames the military action.
"If what he calls for is a long-term military engagement in Syria and Iraq, that may some day require boots on the ground in addition to air strikes against Isis targets. He will, I think, find demand for Congressional approval rising not only from his own party but among the Republicans and the public as well," he predicts.
Yom says, on the other hand, that if the president says the US isn't waging war but is tactically destroying militant units in a far-off land that may target US interests through drones and such, he could probably justify this as not an active war and therefore not needing Congressional approval.
"It's one of those legal technicalities," Yom says.