Boehner and Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner (L) and other Congressional leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington to discuss his plan to combat Islamic State militants operating in Iraq and Syria September 9, 2014. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

A day after President Obama outlined his strategy to fight the Islamic State militant group known as ISIS, the president's plan has gained some Republican support. House Speaker John Boehner expressed his support for Obama's strategy, but also for the need for clarity to convince some uncertain members of the Republican party.

“An F-16 is not a strategy. And air strikes alone will not accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish. The president’s made clear that he doesn’t want boots on the ground, well somebody’s boots have to be on the ground,” Boehner said, according to Reuters.

To help fight the Sunni extremist group, which may already have more than 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria, the president requested $500 million from Congress to conduct air strikes on strategic points and provide training, supplies and support for moderate rebels fighting against ISIS, without inadvertently supporting the Assad regime.

A White House spokesman told Reuters that the Obama administration hopes that Congress will authorize the payment by including it in a bill set to pass next week.

While Obama doesn’t necessarily need formal support from Congress, the approval would be an asset.

“Our allies would feel much more secure and committed ... if they knew that Congress was behind this,” Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has garnered support from 10 Arab nations for a U.S.-led coalition against ISIS.
Iraq Barack obama