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Washington • On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Republicans and Democrats in Congress voiced strong pre-election support Thursday for President Barack Obama's call for new authority to combat Islamic State militants in the heart of the Middle East.

"Over the next week, following a series of briefings, Congress will work with the administration to ensure that our forces have the resources they need to carry out these missions," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., predicted Congress would swing behind the president's request, "not the least of which is the authority to equip and train Syrian troops to fight these ... evil terrorists."

Reid and McConnell spoke the morning after Obama's prime-time speech, and as rank-and-file Republicans met privately across the Capitol to plan their response.

"We do not want to go home without voting on some measure that goes toward destroying and defeating ISIS wherever it exists," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, referring to the militants.

Congress is in a brief two-week pre-election session, and the president's request is an unexpected addition to what had until recently seemed a period devoted to domestic issues such as extending government funding beyond the end of the current budget year.

There were scattered objections to Obama's request.

"I can't vote for what the president proposed because there was nothing new last night in the president's speech. He wants to continue the same failed strategy, but he wants to make it even worse by giving even more money to the so-called vetted moderates who aren't moderate at all," said Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican who is retiring at the end of the year.

In the immediate aftermath of Obama's speech on Wednesday night, both Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., spoke favorably about his call for new authority to battle forces that have overrun parts of Syria and Iraq and have also beheaded two American journalists whom they had held captive.

Still, the outlines of a longer-term national debate over America's role in the region seemed to be emerging.

In his speech, McConnell envisioned a "multi-year campaign" that would extend beyond Obama's time in office.

Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., told reporters a 15-year conflict may be in the offing and that the country needs to adopt a "wartime footing" when it comes to defense spending.

Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a speech that he supports several elements of Obama's strategy, including an expansion of airstrikes and training and equipping the rebels.

Obama says he already has the authority he needs to expand airstrikes from Iraq into Syrian terrority, although he did not say in his speech when he would order them launched.

Given the proximity to the elections, it was unclear what the political fallout would be from Obama's speech.

In his remarks, Reid accused unnamed Republicans of taking "cheap political shots at the president."

"This is a time for the rhetoric of campaign commercials to go away," he said.

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Associated Press writers Erica Werner, Andrew Taylor, Alan Fram and Donna Cassata contributed to this story.