"What they shouldn't do this time is what they did in 2013 when they took a pass on this issue," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said on CBS's "Face the Nation" broadcast Sunday.

"It's very important in questions of war and peace for Congress to be heard. The president has given them a roadmap to follow," he stated.

President Barack Obama has sent Congress a request, seeking formal authorization to fight the Takfiri terrorist organization, six months after he signed off on an air campaign in Iraq and Syria.

The resolution limits US operations to three years, and prohibits the use of "enduring offensive ground forces," leaving the door open for limited combat operations.

The request has rekindled the debate over presidential war powers at a time when the United States is still grappling with the consequences of two prolonged wars in the Middle East.

McDonough urged lawmakers to take the president's request or "they can come up with something else. But they should not take a pass on this important issue."