Boehner: 'Rethinking' of National Security Policy Needed after Hagel Exit

National security policy – specifically as it pertains to the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) – will undergo a “broad re-examination” following the resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“This personnel change must be part of a larger rethinking of our strategy to confront the threats we face abroad, especially the threat posed by the rise of ISIL,” House Speaker John Boehner said.

According to The New York Times, citing aides, President Barack Obama pushed Hagel out after weeks of “rising tension over a variety of issues,” including delays in transferring detainees from the military prison in Guantanamo Bay and a dispute with National Security Adviser Susan Rice over Syria policy.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced similar sentiments to Boehner’s, cautioning that Hagel’s successor “must possess a sharp grasp of strategy, a demonstrated ability to think creatively and the willingness and ability to work with Congress,” according to the Journal.

Hagel’s departure may spark a debate on Congress’ use-of-force authorization passed after 9/11, which the White House has used as legal justification for the current battle against the Islamic State.

“There’s a lot of interest in having that discussion anyway in the Senate,” Sen. Angus King, Maine Independent, told the Journal. “This will provide a focus for the discussion,” he said.

On Monday, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky issued a declaration of war draft he plans to introduce in December, granting a one-year use of force against ISIS. Paul’s war declaration would repeal the 2002 Iraq War authorization and set a time-limit on the 2001 al-Qaida authorization, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“The draft declaration of war would allow for ground troops only to protect or rescue U.S. civilians or troops, to collect intelligence, to advise local forces and to conduct limited operations against high-value targets,” the publication reports.

Congress is forced to take the lead in setting foreign policy because of the White House’s inconsistent response to threats, GOP Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana told the Journal.

 “We’re forced to take action because this president is not leading us with any guidelines,” he said. “Lawmakers will need to discuss a new use-of-force authorization because there’s a lack of clarity there.”

Lawmakers will wait until after the new Congress convenes in January to begin the debate to authorize use of military force, according to The Hill.

Related Stories:

• Hagel's Abrupt Exit Unique for Cabinet Member From 'Other Party'
  
• Rand Paul: Time for Formal Declaration of War on ISIS