According to a new poll from Reason-Rupe, 78 percent of Americans want Congress to vote on an authorization of use of military force against ISIS before the midterms. This would require Congress returning from recess since they adjourned in September to campaign for reelection.
With Congress’s 19 percent approval rating, it is perhaps less surprising Americans feel Congress left DC without a vote to avoid accountability. Fully 63 percent of Americans say members of Congress haven’t voted on the authorization of military force because they don’t want to put their vote on the official record. Only 15 percent of Americans think Congress hasn’t voted because it believes President Obama does not need their authorization for military action, and 8 percent felt Congress simply hasn’t had enough time yet to hold the vote.
This is a rare non-partisan issue in which overwhelming majorities of Democrats (77%), Independents (78%), and Republicans (83%) feel Congress should weigh in on this important decision.
It is good to see such a high percentage of Americans believe that Congress should vote on military action and that the president cannot act alone. Whether Americans hold their elected officials accountable for abdicating their responsibility is another story.
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