House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and four other Republican lawmakers met with President Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday, the day after Joe Biden’s surprise visit. The other Republicans with McCaul were Reps. Darrell Issa, (R-CA)., Keith Self, (R-TX), Max Miller, (R-OH), and Jake Ellzey, (R-TX). The goal of their trip was to get a first-hand look at what is happening on the ground in Ukraine and to conduct oversight. McCaul wanted a better insight into the war.

They met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin in Bucha earlier Tuesday. After they met with Zelensky, they conducted a press conference in Kyiv. The lawmakers wanted to prioritize oversight and they plan to be transparent about their findings. They also held a meeting focused on Russian war crimes and will hold a hearing in the spring on that issue.

When Biden met with Zelensky at Mariinsky Palace, he announced an additional half-billion dollars in assistance. This will include shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars, and other aid. The package does not include new advanced weaponry. McCaul said that Biden’s visit was a photo op and not enough. The United States needs to send more lethal aid to help Ukraine win the war.

“It’s good President Biden visited Ukraine, but a photo op isn’t enough,” said McCaul. “He needs to get Ukraine the weapons they need to win now, especially ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), instead of slow-rolling them.”

The top Republican on the Senate committee, Jim Risch of Idaho, agreed that more lethal force is needed and called on Biden to send fighter aircraft.

There is an opinion held by the more hawkish wing of the Republican Party that the United States should fulfill Zelensky’s wish list of what he thinks he needs to win the war. The idea is that the sooner Zelensky gets the lethal power, the sooner the war will be over. It makes sense. Biden has been slow to deliver the weapons that Zelensky has requested. A spring offensive is expected and that will escalate the war. The question is, what is Biden’s strategy? Does his administration even have one? Or do they just plan to continue to check off items on the wish list and send them for an indefinite amount of time? It is unnerving to hear Biden and his administration say that the United States will continue to support Ukraine for however long it takes. That isn’t a plan. It’s certainly not reassuring.

McCaul hopes that his fact-finding in Ukraine will prove information for the members of the most conservative members of the Republican Party in the House who are already talking about cutting off funding and weapons for the war.

“We have seen time and again the majority of Republicans and Democrats support our assistance to Ukraine. But the Biden administration needs to lay out their long-term strategy,” McCaul said in a statement. “There are some Members who would be more supportive if they saw a long-term strategy that was based on a Ukrainian victory rather than sending just enough support to prolong the war but not win it.”

A spokesperson for McCaul noted the delegation has been focused on oversight and ensuring there are guardrails in place for any future aid to Ukraine.

Earlier this month, 11 House Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz put forward a “Ukraine Fatigue” resolution. The resolution stated that the U.S. “must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine” and urged Zelensky and Putin to “reach a peace agreement.” Most Republicans are not at that point. There is plenty of support for aid to Ukraine as the country fights off Russian aggression. Putin must be defeated. Zelensky and Putin are not at the point yet to reach a peace agreement.

With disasters like the train derailment in Ohio in the news, it is easy to understand the anger and frustration at the Biden administration over the amount of American money and resources going to Ukraine when the needs are so great here. Criticism that Biden goes to Ukraine to talk about their border with Russia (on President’s Day!) and yet doesn’t go to the southern border to talk about protecting our border with Mexico is understandable. It’s all true. However, as the leader of the free world, the United States is called upon to do more than one task at a time. We can take care of our domestic problems and help Ukraine in its fight for freedom, too.

Biden pledged that his administration would be one that could walk and chew gum at the same time. So far that pledge has not come true. It’s past time for Biden to have a plan for our involvement in Ukraine and explain it to Americans. There must be transparency and accountability for the billions of American taxpayer dollars flying out the door. I hope McCaul gets some answers and releases the information when he gets home.