Fresh off a journey to the Middle East, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) will hold a town hall meeting in her district to discuss ISIS.
Although domestic issues usually dominate in congressional town hall events before midterm elections, Hartzler's focus on ISIS is an example of how Republicans are trying to highlight President Obama's handling of the emerging threat.
Hartzler and other members of the House Armed Services Committee visited Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco during the 10-day meeting with heads of state and defense officials from the region. At the meeting next week in Harrisonville, Mo., she plans to discuss the threat ISIS poses to U.S. allies in the region.
Some of Hartzler's travel companions have not been shy about speaking up about lessons from their trip. Upon his return, Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) urged Obama in a press release to "get off the sidelines" and start leading. In a statement last week, Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) cited a lack of leadership on the issue, calling it "deeply concerning and downright dangerous."
Following a speech from Obama in which he outlined his administration's strategy for dealing with ISIS, Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), who serves as chair of the Armed Services Committee, held an event outlining his own plan, which emphasizes ground troops and firepower to "wipe them out."
Obama's strategy relies on airstrikes and the training of rebels. So far, he has been reluctant to commit ground troops to the effort.
