The Senate will send President Barack Obama legislation authorizing the use of military force against ISIS shortly after the GOP takes majority control in January , presumed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday . In an interview with CNN 's Dana Bash , the Kentucky Republican said he 'd like to see Obama ask Congress for such a measure -- but that one is coming anyway . `` It would be even better if the President asked us for what he wants , but we 're not going to wait forever , '' McConnell said . `` We 're certainly going to need to use force , there 's no question about it . They 're beheading Americans and posting it on the Internet . They 're a serious threat to our national security . And we 're going to have to act , '' he said . He signaled that crafting legislation green-lighting military action , which is already underway against ISIS in Iraq and Syria , could be an item on which Republicans could work with Obama . `` I think the President is moving in that direction himself , '' McConnell said . `` He 'd be in a much stronger position with an authorization of the use of military force . We 've been sort of expecting him to ask for it , but if he does n't , I think he will get one sometime soon after the first of the year . '' The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will start its debate on authorizing the use of military force against ISIS this week . Secretary of State John Kerry is set to appear before the panel Tuesday . Meanwhile , Sens . Rand Paul , R-Kentucky , and Tim Kaine , D-Virginia , are pushing for a vote on a bill that would approve U.S. action . That measure , though , would n't advance in time for a vote before senators are expected to wrap up their post-election `` lame duck '' session and leave Washington . McConnell said he does n't want a vote in December , but that with the new Republican majority in place in January , `` We 'll address it at the beginning of next year . '' In the interview , McConnell previewed his plans for the final two years of Obama 's tenure -- saying he expects the Senate to pass legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline , forcing the President into a tough veto decision , and to `` push back against this overactive bureaucracy '' on environmental regulations . He also said he expects votes to repeal Obama 's signature health care law , as well as some of its key components , including the individual mandate that all Americans have health insurance and its tax on medical device-makers . But McConnell , pointing to a meeting with Obama last week , said Republicans might be able to agree with the President on a few issues . `` It would be better , obviously , if we can get some results . And he and I had an opportunity to talk last week . And we agreed to talk about the things that we might agree on , '' McConnell said . `` And there are some , '' he said . `` Trade agreements . There may be a path forward on comprehensive tax reform . We have certainly a lot of bipartisan interest in the crumbling infrastructure in the country and what to do about it . My first choice is to make progress for the country . '' McConnell said his meeting with Obama was `` unusual -- we 've not had a chance to talk very much . '' But he said that 's no surprise , since the President took office with hefty Democratic majorities and the party kept control of the Senate until November . McConnell said he 's `` not opposed to negotiating with the administration . '' `` Now he needs to talk to us and that 's good , because when the American people elect divided government , they 're not saying they do n't want anything done , '' McConnell said . `` What they are saying is they want things done in the political center , things that both sides can agree on . And in the conversation last week , we talked about the things where there may be some agreement . '' McConnell left the door open to congressional action on immigration -- which both McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner , R-Ohio , had said would be made much more difficult by Obama 's executive action halting deportations for the undocumented parents of U.S. citizens . `` What we 're going to do is try to figure out the best way to respond to what the President has done . We know we have a broken immigration system . We know the border is not secure . We know that we need an expansion in H1-B visas . We need an improvement in the agricultural guest worker program , '' McConnell said . `` There are a whole lot of things that need to be done to improve our immigration system . And I hope the President had made it possible for us to -- to deal with those issues . ''
Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote on a bill authorizing military action against ISIS in early 2015 . The incoming Senate majority leader says he wants President Barack Obama to have the authority for war . Obama will be in a ` ` much stronger position '' if the fight against IS with congressional support , he says .