--- description: “War cannot be initiated without Congress” title: ISIL: Rand Paul Wants to Declare War Against ISIS image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Foreign Policy](/tag/foreign-policy/) ## Foreign Policy Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Rand Paul Wants to Declare War Against ISIS ## Video: What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group [Watch (HLS stream): What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QFjP70IG.m3u8) (2:12)  _Published 2014-09-17. The black and white standard of the Sunni militants gives some insight into how the group sees itself_ by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 24, 2014 1:13 PM CUT by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 24, 2014 1:13 PM CUT Kentucky Republican Sen. [Rand Paul](http://time.com/3512657/rand-paul-reinventions/ "undefined") [said in a new interview](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/us/politics/rand-paul-calls-for-a-formal-declaration-of-war-against-isis.html "undefined") that Congress should formally declare war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) as a way to limit the engagement against the militant group and take war powers back from President Barack Obama. “War cannot be initiated without Congress,” Paul told the New York _Times_ in advocating for the first formal declaration of war since World War II. Paul is circulating a resolution to do just that. A likely 2016 presidential candidate whose libertarian-leaning foreign policy is viewed skeptically by many conservatives and mainstream Republicans, Paul is likely to face backlash from members of his own party who don’t want to limit the President’s authority when it comes to fighting ISIS. “Conservatives are mad at him about immigration. And they’re mad about him using executive authority on Obamacare,” Paul said. “But this is another example where he doesn’t have much respect for Congress, and some conservatives don’t quite get that.” **MORE:** [The reinventions of Rand Paul](http://time.com/3512657/rand-paul-reinventions/ "undefined") Paul told TIME earlier this year that his support for fighting ISIS, which has taken control of large swaths of Iraq and Syria, “doesn’t mean you give up your principles of thinking war is the last resort.” \[[_NYT_](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/us/politics/rand-paul-calls-for-a-formal-declaration-of-war-against-isis.html "undefined")\] ### Photos: On the Road with Rand Paul  Senator Rand Paul talks to voters at the Horry County Republican Party in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul talks with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul's boots are seen as he talks with students at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul bows his head in prayer before talking to voters at the Horry County Republican Party in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sept. 30th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul and GOP Senatorial candidate Thom Tillis meet with diners at Big Ed's restaurant in Raleigh, N.C. on Oct. 1st, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul attends a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  In a back tent, Senator Paul manages to have five minutes alone to go over his speech at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell attend a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  Senator Rand Paul speaks at a BBQ event at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12th, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME  The BBQ event's band at the Donnelly Barn in Bowling Green, Ky. on Oct. 12, 2014. Charles Ommanney for TIME ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3602015/isil-isis-rand-paul-barack-obama/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3602015/isil-isis-rand-paul-barack-obama/"},"headline":"Rand Paul Wants to Declare War Against ISIS","datePublished":"2014-11-24T13:13:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:06:57.081Z","description":"“War cannot be initiated without Congress”","url":"https://time.com/3602015/isil-isis-rand-paul-barack-obama/","keywords":["Foreign Policy","Congress","politics","Rand Paul"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/foreign-policy/","name":"Foreign Policy"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3602015/isil-isis-rand-paul-barack-obama/","name":"Rand Paul Wants to Declare War Against ISIS"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group","description":"The black and white standard of the Sunni militants gives some insight into how the group sees itself","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QFjP70IG/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-09-17T14:21:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QFjP70IG.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3602015/isil-isis-rand-paul-barack-obama/","duration":"PT2M12S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3602015/isil-isis-rand-paul-barack-obama/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```