On Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry appeared before a Senate committee to ask the U.S. legislature for greater powers in the fight against ISIS. These would give the U.S. military greater freedom in its current fight but also blur the extent of American involvement.

Kerry appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, headed by Sen. Bob Menendez (D, N.J.), to ask for a new authorization for use of military force or AUMF in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. In his testimony before the committee, Kerry outlined the administration's plan to fight against ISIS, its successes and what it needs from Congress.

Kerry praised successes on the field thanks to coalition and U.S. airstrikes, Iraq's attempt to reconcile ethnic and religious differences and the region's unlikely agreement on the danger ISIS poses.

The secretary of state then called on Congress to do its part and show its allies the U.S. determination in the current battle.

"We ask you now to work closely with us on a bipartisan basis to develop language that provides a clear signal of support for our ongoing military operations against Daesh," Kerry told the committee, using the Arabic word for the terrorist group.

However, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF) he seeks could potentially expand a war contained within Iraq and Syria.

"The authorization ... should give the President the clear mandate and flexibility he needs to successfully prosecute the armed conflict against Daesh and affiliated forces, but the authorization should also be limited and specific to the threat posed by that group and by forces associated with it," Kerry said.

Sen. Menendez drafted a version of the AUMF, which put a three-year-long limit to the law and prevented the involvement of American ground troops, except in certain situations like "the protection or rescue of" U.S. troops or civilians, conducting "limited operations against high value targets," or conducting "missions not intended to result in ground combat operations."

Although Kerry said the administration supports the abovementioned requirements, he said Congress should not "preemptively bind the hands of the Commander-in-Chief or our commanders in the field in responding to scenarios and contingencies that are impossible to foresee."

Kerry added there should be caveats to the three-year rule as well as the combat troops rule that allow "for extension[s] in the event that circumstances require it."

In addition, Kerry proposed the AUMF should not be limited geographically, despite the fact that the administration does not "anticipate conducting operations in countries other than Iraq or Syria."

"... to the extent that ISIL poses a threat to American interests and personnel in other countries, we would not want an AUMF to constrain our ability to use appropriate force against ISIL in those locations if necessary," Kerry explained. "In our view, it would be a mistake to advertise to ISIL that there are safe havens for them outside of Iraq or Syria."

The lack of a geographical boundary for the AUMF provides the administration with the ability to expand the conflict if threats arise elsewhere or if ISIS expands the battle front.

According to CBS News, Sen. Menendez questioned Kerry on the AUMF, and both Republican and Democrats in the committee lamented the administration's lack of prudency concerning the AUMF.

"It seems to me you're making the case for a rather open-ended authorization," Menendez said. "If that's the case, you should just say it."

He added that the administration should have approached Congress with its own AUMF much earlier to know "what the administration seeks."

Kerry did not provide a draft to Congress.

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