The president has opted for an open-ended air campaign to fight the Islamic State. A look at what it will take to make the plan work and the risks that could cause it to fail.
The House speaker said Congress "ought to give the president what he's asking for" but also expressed skepticism, saying the White House plan to defeat Islamic State militants doesn't go far enough.
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers talks to Steve Inskeep about whether Congress will authorize military action against militant members of the Islamic State.
President Obama has laid out his strategy for dealing with militant members of the Islamic State. Steve Inskeep talks to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio for his reaction.
The president has spent most of his tenure scaling back the U.S. military role in the Middle East. Now he appears poised to broaden an operation that will bring with it substantial risks.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., discusses the need for President Obama to seek Congressional approval before moving ahead with military actions against the Islamic State.