Texas Republican Rep. Mike McCaul and New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez found common ground Sunday on two international crises.
McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appeared on
"Fox News Sunday" to talk about the Islamic State (ISIS) and Ukraine.
McCaul said he is "extremely concerned" about the 100-plus Americans returning to conduct terrorism on American soil, especially with the anniversary of 9/11 approaching on Thursday.
McCaul joined a growing chorus of Republicans who believe the United States should strike ISIS not only in Iraq, as it is currently doing with airstrikes, but also in Syria where it has its base of operations.
"ISIS is a savage terrorist organization that has to be defeated before they can create the operational wherewithal to conduct a September 11th-like tragedy," Menendez said. Fighters with Western passports must be thwarted before they can become a threat on the homeland, he said.
The two disagreed over President Barack Obama's policy on ISIS. McCaul said the president so far has had "a policy of containment, not of defeat.
Menendez said Obama "misspoke" when he said he has no strategy for dealing with ISIS in Syria.
"What he really said was he hadn't decided on a strategy yet," Menendez said. "I see a developing strategy."
Air and drone strikes against ISIS leaders, targets and positions are on the table, he said, and a NATO coalition is developing. Also, moderate Middle Eastern countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have lined up against the terrorist group.
McCaul and Menendez also agreed the United States should be providing arms to Ukraine to stave of Russia's invading forces in the eastern part of the country.
McCaul had tough words for Obama, who so far has relied only on sanctions against Russia.
"I think long-term, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is winning," McCaul said. "I think weakness invites aggression."
Menendez also wants to see the United States and NATO allies supply Ukraine with arms.
"That will change Putin's calculations," he said.
The two disagreed on
Obama's recent promise to delay executive action to grant amnesty to thousands of illegal immigrants until after November's midterms.
Menendez said he is "deeply disappointed" that Obama hasn't acted already, but he said he also is unhappy House Republicans didn't act on the Senate's previous "bipartisan" effort.
"Republicans are on the wrong side of the inevitable side of history here," he said.
Hispanic groups have sharply criticized Obama, saying he is playing politics with the issue.
McCaul agreed, calling the move "politically calculated." Obama knows acting earlier, as he had promised, would hurt several close Senate races in red states, possibly causing Democrats to lose the Senate.
"I think it's nothing more than raw politics," McCaul said.
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