Sen. Boozman: ‘Everything on the table’ for dealing with ISIS

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said the U.S. must consider all options in dealing with the latest heightened terrorist attacks regarding ISIS and that protecting the American public “has to be priority No. 1.”

Boozman, who appeared on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, said the attacks in Paris that have been tied to radical Islamic terrorists with connections to Syrian refugees must lead to a step-up in the war on terror.

“I think you do have to go on offense. The question is: ‘what’s the smart way to do that?'” Boozman said.

This past week, Boozman and Arkansas’ junior Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called for a moratorium on allowing Syrian refugees in the U.S., and a renewed evaluation of security vetting procedures to allow for refugees to come into the country. Boozman said he’s not confident that the Obama administration can properly screen potential immigrants under the circumstances.

He also said that all options should be considered in dealing with the latest round of terrorism, including military strikes, financial embargoes and asset freezes, and relying on military leader recommendations.

“I do think – and I think that Sen. Cotton believes this – the only thing these people understand is force. And the only way we’re going to get them on their heels is through use of force.”

Does “use of force” suggest American troops in Syria or other countries to fight radical terrorists?

“I think you leave that on the table,” Boozman said. “None of us want to get into a situation where we’re occupying Syria or something like that. The question is: ‘how do you do this in an effective way.'”

When asked about GOP Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s comments regarding an identification or monitoring system to track Muslims in the U.S., Boozman said he did not agree with the position.

“As far as tracking people by religion, no. I don’t think we need to do that.”

Boozman also offered thoughts on several domestic issues and his 2016 re-election campaign.

• Federal highway funding – Boozman opposes raising fuel taxes, but supports lower corporate tax rates to draw offshore profits back to U.S.
• Clean Line Energy project – Boozman wants state regulatory groups to have say-so in the project versus just federal regulators
• His re-election bid and primary challenger – Boozman said the competition will push him to get organized earlier

Watch his full video interview below.