U.S. Senator Angus King of Maine, one of two independents in the 100-member U.S. Senate, on Thursday said there was a bipartisan group building to have a congressional authorization of what President Barack Obama is doing in the Middle East with regard to ISIL.
"I think that is important," King said in a CNN "New Day" interview. "I think that is our responsibility, and I think both sides think that is something that ought to happen. The President alluded to it yesterday." King said there needs to be a "clearer authorization" from the U.S. Congress on the Obama strategy for dealing with ISIL.
"The bottom line is we are not going to be able to kill our way out of this problem," King said. "We have got to figure out what it is that is motivating young people in Britain, in America, in France and certainly throughout the Middle East to go and give up their lives to become suicide bombers in this cause. This is an underlying worldwide problem that we have got to figure out strategically beyond simply drones and airstrikes." Republicans, who won control of the Senate in the midterm elections on Tuesday, added another Senate seat after all ballots were counted in Alaska. Republican challenger Dan Sullivan defeated Democratic Senator Mark Begich by more than 8,000 votes, according to final results.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, where Democratic Senator Mark Warner claimed victory in a tight race on Tuesday night against Republican challenger Ed Gillespie, a recount was under way because Virginia law permits a recount when the margin between competing candidates is 1 percent or less.
Warner's lead narrowed from about 19,000 to 12,300 votes by Wednesday, a difference of 1 percent.