House Speaker John Boehner says it will be “virtually impossible” for Congress to approve President Barack Obama’s proposed authority for military force against Islamic State militants.

In a meeting with a handful of reporters on Tuesday, the Republican leader said Obama’s proposal for new authority is stalled and that it made no sense for Congress to give him less authority than he already has.

Boehner, who recently led a congressional delegation to the Middle East, said he wants U.S. forces in Iraq to have a larger role in planning and directing Iraqis trying to combat the Islamic extremists. He stopped short of saying the U.S. should send more than the 4,500 troops in the region.

(AP)