Washington, September 8 (RHC)-- U.S. President Barack Obama has launched an effort to rally Congress and the public behind a sustained offensive against the militant group Islamic State.

According to reports from Washington, Obama is set to meet with Congress on Tuesday followed by a national address the following day

The U.S. president discussed the plan Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. He said that the U.S. was building a coalition and carrying out airstrikes in support of work on the ground by Iraqi troops.

The United States says it will lead the offensive against the Islamic State with a so-called "core coalition" of 10 countries. The White House says the fight could last beyond the end of Obama’s term in early 2017.

The news follows a month of U.S. bombing attacks against ISIL fighters in Iraq. Over the weekend, American warplanes expanded the offensive with strikes against militants near the Haditha Dam.