Senators Want to Require Obama Ask Permission to Keep Troops in Afghanistan

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A small, bipartisan group of senators are seeking legislation to force President Barack Obama to seek permission from Congress to keep any U.S. troops in Afghanistan past the end of 2014.

Following a report by NBC News on Tuesday detailing a draft security agreement between the United States and Afghanistan, which envisions continued U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan following the conclusion of combat operations, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and three other senators have offered an amendment to an annual defense spending bill to limit Obama's authority.

Merkley's amendment is cosponsored by Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden, Ore., and Joe Manchin, W.Va., along with Republican Sen. Rand Paul, Ky., a conservative critic of broad global military involvement by the United States.