Obama sets prime-time address on ISIS, as Congress demands strategy

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President Obama plans to deliver a high-stakes prime-time address on Wednesday to discuss his plans for combating the Islamic State, as he faces mounting pressure from congressional leaders to explain a clear strategy they say is long overdue.
“We have a very serious problem and what we need is a strategy,” House Speaker John Boehner said.
The White House announced Tuesday that the president will deliver his address at 9 p.m. ET from the State Floor.
The White House says he will discuss the threat posed by the Islamic State militants and a strategy for "degrading and ultimately destroying" the group.
Prime-time addresses typically are reserved for major announcements, and the president has in the past used them to discuss everything from the drawdown of forces in Afghanistan to – one year ago tomorrow – the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Obama has set a high bar in scheduling such an address for outlining his ISIS plans.
In advance of the speech, he’s facing pressure from lawmakers on all sides, most of whom want the U.S. to aggressively counter the Islamic State but diverge on how to do it and whether Congress needs to take a formal vote.
"I think we need to be going after the terrorist threat wherever it is and anyone who thinks this is just an Iraq-Syria issue is not paying much attention to what's happening around the world," Boehner told reporters after a House Republican caucus meeting with former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Ahead of his address, Obama is meeting with congressional leaders at the White House Tuesday. Officials have said the president is seeking "buy-in" from lawmakers but they have not specified whether Obama will seek an authorization for use of force.
The U.S. is already launching airstrikes against militants in Iraq, actions taken at the invitation of the Iraqi government and without congressional authorization.
Boehner said Tuesday that no decision would be made on whether Congress votes until Obama lays out his plan. There is no consensus in Congress on whether Obama needs new authorization to attack the militants. Some lawmakers say the president has the authority under the Constitution and no new vote is necessary. Others are reluctant to vote weeks before midterm elections.
Despite the disagreements, Republicans have seized on Obama's concession last month that the administration had no strategy, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell using that statement in a campaign ad.
In a speech on the Senate floor, McConnell set the parameters for Obama, saying the president needs to identify military objectives and explain how they will be accomplished.
"He needs to present this plan to the Congress and the American people, and where the president believes he lacks authority to execute such a strategy, he needs to explain to the Congress how additional authority for the use of force will protect America," McConnell said. "The threat from ISIL is real and it's growing. It's time for President Obama to exercise some leadership in launching a response." ISIL is an alternative name for the militants.
In the House GOP meeting, Cheney stressed the importance of American leadership in the world to a Republican caucus that's split between hawks and tea partiers.
"His message primarily was that he sees the pattern of this president leading to a less safe world and a much more problematic relationship with our historic allies, whether they're in the Middle East or Europe," Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said he saw no legal need for Obama to seek congressional approval for military action at all.
"He already has the authorization," he told reporters. "But I think if he chooses to come to Congress, I think it will pass overwhelmingly and it may be to his benefit."
Kinzinger said Obama had options, from seeking lawmakers' blessing for a specific use of force, amending his current authorization or simply asking for money to be appropriated for an ongoing battle.
"The big thing is to make sure that he follows up those words with action," Kinzinger said. "That's been an area that's been lacking lately."