Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown is calling on Congress to "immediately" pass legislation that would strip homegrown terrorists of their American citizenship.
Brown's request comes following a Washington Times report indicating that as many as 300 Americans are fighting alongside ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
"One of the greatest threats facing the homeland today is the mayhem that will happen when hundreds of American ISIS fighters return to the United States to spread their terror here," Brown said. "Their goal is to march down Pennsylvania Avenue and plant a flag at the White House, and mass killing is their means for achieving that goal... We need to keep our country safe by stopping these American ISIS fighters from re-entering the country."
Brown is one of three Republicans running for the New Hampshire Senate seat now held by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. The Republican primary is set for Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Jim Rubens, one of Brown's Republican opponents, issued a statement Friday condemning Brown's proposal as an attack on personal liberties.
"This is a reaction based on fear and anger rather than smart counter-terrorism policy," the statement said. "A recent example of this was when Scott Brown voted for the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act has allowed the government to spy on our emails nad phone conversations and has done nothing to reduce the threat of terrorism.
"Anyone found to be aiding terrorists should be brough to swift justice. Our system already allows for that without the stripping away of Constitutional rights of the citizens we are trying to protect."
Politics
The campaigns for Shaheen and Republican Bob Smith did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on Brown's proposal.
Brown also released a new web ad Friday on the growing threat of ISIS. You can watch the web ad below: