U.S. Army Captain Nathan Michael Smith sued President Obama alleging that he does not have the legal authority to wage war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
In the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, Smith asks the court to tell the president that “he must get proper authority from Congress, under the War Powers Resolution, to wage the war against ISIS.”
The Obama administration maintains that its authorization comes from the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, enacted by Congress after 9/11, to fight Al Qaeda.
Smith argues this interpretation of the 2001 A.U.M.F is unconstitutional and reckless.
According to the Associated Press, several members of Congress have advocated for a new authorization, but no one at Capitol Hill wants to vote on it.