Sen. Tim Kaine said Thursday that he will work to show there is a "bipartisan push forward" to give the fight against the Islamic State a legal footing, and "do it in a way that sends a clear message of resolve."
"I think the momentum is coming together," the Virginia Democrat, who appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program with Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, said, claiming that the White House wants the Senate's help.
"When they sent us the
war authorization in February, they were basically saying 'now we not just would welcome your involvement, we would really want your involvement."
Flake, commenting on the growing Syrian refugee controversy, said he does not blame the nation's governors and others for being concerned about the people who could be coming in the country.
"I don't think the administration has done a good job explaining what this program is and does," he said. "To me, if there are any concerns and any gaps there, that fails in comparison to some of our other programs that we ought to be more concerned about. It's down the list a little bit in our view...as the administration explains more about the vetting that does go on, there will be more comfort out there."
But Flake said it is better to focus attention on the United States' visa waiver program for European travelers than it is the incoming Syrian refugees themselves.
He is expected to introduce a bipartisan bill, along with California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, on Thursday to block the program for Europeans who have traveled to Syria or Iraq over the past five years, reports
The Arizona Republic.
"This would not say that they can't get a visa," Flake told the newspaper. "It's simply saying that they would have to get a visa instead of having that requirement waived. And I think that's a prudent thing to do."
The U.S. waiver program allows people from more than 35 countries, including some in the European union, to come to the United States and remain for up to 90 days, without a visa. Flake told The Republic that there is a concern that many of the terrorists involved in last Friday's attacks in Paris were born in France and could receive a visa waiver, unless they are tagged for other reasons.
"The regular political programs and tourist visas, and the visa waiver programs are all things that need to be addressed," Flake told the Morning Joe program. "On the refugee program, as the administration explains more about the vetting that does go on, there will be more comfort out there."
He said he also expects "real debate" to go on when it comes to authorizing war powers.
"As Tim said, it's been 16 months now and service members have been killed, and also more than anything, this has metastasized," Flake said. " think that there's a growing realization that we need to have this debate and we have to have a war resolution and so I do, I am concerned about that."