US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday urged lawmakers to adopt a new legal authorization to underpin military action against ISIL militants for at least three years

US Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday urged lawmakers to adopt a new legal authorization to underpin military action against ISIL militants for at least three years.

But during a heated debate, the top U.S. diplomat came under fire from Republicans and Democrats who argued that if President Barack Obama wanted new powers to combat the militants, he should have drawn up a draft text to propose to the Senate.

Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations committee: "I think we all agree that this discussion must conclude with a bipartisan vote that makes clear that this is not one party's fight against ISIL (IS), but rather that it reflects our unified determination to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL."

"Our coalition partners need to know it. The men and women of our armed forces need to know it. And ISIL's cadres of killers, rapists, and bigots need to understand it."

He asked the committee to help draw up a new authorization which "provides a clear signal of support for our ongoing military operations against ISIL," referring to the group by another acronym.

Kerry also urged that the text should not limit U.S. actions geographically to just Syria and Iraq, and suggested it should be valid for three years with room for a possible extension.