GOP's national security plan declares war on Islamic State

America must "lead the charge" in the overseas "war" against terrorism, House Republicans declared in a 25-page national security proposal that represents the second plank in a six-part House GOP agenda.

The plan hinges on redefining the strategy to defeat the Islamic State and ensure the United States takes the lead among allies in the region. While there is no direct call for sending U.S. ground troops into the terror-threatened regions of the Middle East and Africa on a large scale, the GOP plan explicitly rejects ruling out a big deployment.

"We are at war," page 9 of the policy paper declares. Republicans call for "adopting a wartime approach and keeping all options on the table" in the fight to defeat Islamic State terrorists.

House Speaker Paul Ryan plans to roll out the proposal on Thursday at the Council of Foreign Relations in a panel discussion with top House GOP lawmakers.

Republicans have long argued the nation's security is threatened, and that terrorism has grown due to foreign policy inaction and weakness under the Obama administration.