U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon), vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, made the following statement about President Obama's national security speech:

"Most disturbing to me in the President's speech today was the idea that we can simply declare Al Qaeda beaten and go back to the pre-9/11 era. When he said that these issues of national security are serious ones, which we should not gloss over, I agree. Wishing the defeat of terrorists does not make it so.

But the President seems to gloss over what it takes to truly defeat Al Qaeda.

Under what legal authority would he take action to prevent terrorist attacks in the future without an Authorization for the Use of Military Force? Is he asking for a free hand to do whatever he thinks best, or does he think law enforcement can handle the entire threat?

One thing that is clear is that Congress must exercise its duties under the Constitution to conduct oversight of the Administration’s actions. A bipartisan group of Members support a measure to increase oversight of lethal or capture operations around the world, H.R. 1904. The President should welcome the added oversight and endorse it."

NOTE:

Thornberry recently introduced the “Oversight of Sensitive Military Operations Act,” H.R. 1904, requiring the Defense Department to report to Congress all drone strikes, kill-or-capture operations outside of Afghanistan. The bill requires a written explanation of the legal basis and approval process used for determining targets.  It currently has 43 bipartisan co-sponsors.