Despite any efforts to tighten the visa process to better screen for potential terrorists, the reality is that "we'll never have perfect information," Sen. Ron Johnson told
Newsmax TV on Wednesday.
"The fact is that we are searching for needles in a haystack, and the problem is that there are more needles and the haystack is growing," the Wisconsin Republican, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told "Newsmax Prime" hosts J.D Hayworth and Miranda Khan.
"This is what is disturbing about President [Barack] Obama's continuing denying of reality that his strategy isn't working to defeat ISIS," Johnson said. "We do need to accomplish his stated goal: degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS.
"The problem is, his vision of ultimately is a lot further in the future than my vision."
Because of the "real gaps in information" in the vetting process, Johnson said that a better approach would be to focus on the "root cause" of the current spate of worldwide terrorism: the Islamic State.
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"Every day that ISIS is perceived as or not overtly losing, they're going to be perceived as winning — and they will continue to inspire terrorist acts, they will continue to grow adherents to that barbaric ideology.
"We are going to need boots on the ground," Johnson told Newsmax. "We already have boots on the ground, just not enough to lead the robust effort we need with a committed coalition of the willing."
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