John McCain.

VIDEO: US military chiefs face tough questions on IS

McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential election and has been a harsh critic of the administration's foreign policy, said there was no compelling reason to think that anything the US was doing would be enough to achieve the president's goal of degrading and ultimately destroying IS.

McCain said Islamic State continues to gain territory in Iraq and Syria, while expanding its influence across the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.