WASHINGTON, December 2 (Sputnik) — The US Congress will reauthorize US President Barack Obama's campaign against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria before the December 11 deadline when government funding will run out, Senator Richard Burr told Sputnik Monday.
"I don't think there's any question as to whether we're going to fulfill the President's commitment to carry on the fight with Islamic State," the Republican Senator from North Carolina told Sputnik. "I'm confident that they [the Congress] will approve further action and make sure the Department of Defense has whatever they need to prosecute that."
The current Congress has two weeks to agree on measures to continue funding the government.
"I think we will meet the deadline on the 11th [of December]," Senator Burr told Sputnik, adding that he does not believe there is any danger of the government shutting down.
IS Sunni extremist group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), was fighting against Syrian President Bashar Assad before it started launching attacks in northern and western Iraq in June.
In August, the United States started airstrikes against IS positions in Iraq. In September, attacks by the United States and its allies were extended to Syria.
In September, the US Congress authorized the White House to fund and train moderate Syrian rebels to fight against IS. The action was included in a $1 trillion continuing resolution which would fund overall government operations until December 11. As the deadline approaches, Congress must either authorize more funds or face a government shutdown.
Despite bipartisan majority in both houses authorizing $500 million to train and equip Syrian rebels, the US Congress has not yet voted to give Obama broader authorization to use military force against IS.
