foreign relations

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee wants to hear directly from Secretary of State John Kerry about the situation in Syria, as Russia has begun to conduct airstrikes.  

Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker is inviting Kerry to testify next week, though the State Department has not confirmed he will appear before the committee he chaired as a senator from Massachusetts. "The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has requested Secretary of State John Kerry testify next week to explain the administration's Syria strategy to Congress and the American people," the Tennessee Republican said in a statement. "Until we are prepared to take steps to address the root cause of this crisis — the Assad regime — we will continue to see dangerous consequences in the region that will impact our allies and our security interests."  

The senator leading a push to authorize the war against ISIS after the elections wants an intelligence briefing first, so lawmakers know the full extent of the covert operations already under way.  

Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez aired his frustrations last week when Secretary of State John Kerry came to testify before his old committee about the administration's plans to fight the terror group known as ISIS or ISIL.