President Barack Obama is meeting Congressional leaders to outline and press his case for an expanded military campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
He is discussing his strategy with leaders from both parties at the White House.
The talks come ahead of his speech to the nation on Wednesday night.
It is not clear whether the president will seek Congressional authorisation for an increased military role.
Tuesday’s meeting with Congressional leaders comes a year after lawmakers blocked Mr Obama’s previous plans for missile strikes against Syria.
Since then, the IS jihadist group has taken control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
In June it declared the creation of a “caliphate” or Islamic state.
In the past month, IS militants have beheaded two US journalists in protest against American airstrikes on its forces in Iraq.
Mr Obama has ruled out the possibility of a US ground operation against IS but has signalled he may expand airstrikes to include Syria.
“Over the course of months, we are going to be able to not just blunt the momentum of [IS],” he said on Sunday. “We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities; we’re going to shrink the territory that they control; and, ultimately, we’re going to defeat them.”
Analysis: Jim Muir, BBC News, Irbil
The Americans are hoping the new government can start pulling Iraq back together, and provide a springboard for a national drive to root out Islamic State militants. That can only work if the Sunni community can be persuaded that that is in their interests.
Mr Obama and Mr Abadi agreed on the need for the new government to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people – a clear reference to the Sunnis. Their demands include the release of detainees, an end to bombardment of Sunni areas, and a real share of power in Baghdad.
The task ahead is clearly massive. Among other things, the Iraqi army is in a state of disarray, and much of the recent fighting has been done by Shia militia, strengthening the element of sectarian civil strife that will have to be eliminated if the IS radicals are to be isolated and crushed, without whole communities being destroyed.
Legacy of mistrust haunts new Iraqi government
While leaders in Congress have made it clear they are not interested in pursuing a vote on military action, some lawmakers have said any airstrikes or military action should be authorised by them.
Republican Senator Rand Paul told the website Politico that if Mr Obama does not ask for authorisation, “it would show a disregard for the Constitution, and for the history of our country”.
But other lawmakers are more cautious about committing themselves to potentially risky military action, especially with the approach of Congressional mid-term elections in November.
How do you fight Islamic State?Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Washington
Islamic State is cool – for aspiring jihadists. The group’s horrific videos of beheadings add to the Islamic State’s credibility, making their leaders seem more brutal than al-Qaeda.
“They’re the ones who are actually doing things,” says Humera Khan of Muflehun, an organisation that counters violent extremism.
In contrast, the US state department’s Welcome to the ‘Islamic State’ land, designed to demonise IS, is un-cool. Graphic and grim, its messages are ironic, written in state-department youth-speak: “Travel is inexpensive, because you won’t need a return ticket!”
It is part of a tradition of public-service campaigns designed to protect people from themselves. One 1960s film about drink driving, The Bottle and the Throttle, uses scary images and stern wording. It became a cult classic.
Like other well-intentioned films, Welcome to the ‘Islamic State’ Land comes across as preachy – and may not connect with its audience in the way its creators hoped.
According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a large majority of the American public views Islamic State as a serious threat to the US and widely supports airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.
About 100 Americans are believed to have joined the militants and the US state department has tried to counter this by making a hard-hitting video that tries to dissuade potential recruits.
Mr Obama’s press secretary, Josh Earnest, told Politico on Monday the president was hoping for a “buy-in” from Congress.
Meanwhile, France has announced it will host an international conference on Iraq on 15 September and President Francois Hollande will visit the country later this week.
On Monday, the US hailed the creation of a new government in Iraq as a major milestone and a crucial step toward defeating the militant group.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s cabinet had the “potential to unite all of Iraq’s diverse communities”.
Posts have been shared between the Shia Arab majority, Sunni Arabs and Kurds.
The US had made the approval of a unity government a condition for increased military assistance.
Mr Kerry is travelling to Saudi Arabia and Jordan this week as part of efforts to build a coalition to confront IS.
BBC.
