that was sent. >> reporter: over all the meetings the president will have, the one with john mccain is the most critical. john mccain is saying he effectively wants to use this vote as leverage to get the white house to articulate better the military plans in syria after these limited strikes, especially when you're talking about helping the rebels which he is calling for for a long time. if he gets mccain onboard publy, it could help the president, especially with talking to lawmakers. the president needs all the help he could get here. >> could be a very key ally on winning that vote in the coming week. dana, thank you so much. now, from capitol hill to the pentagon now. the u.s. navy has five ships in the red sea. bolstering the u.s. presence in the region. cnn's barbara starr is at the pentagon with more on this. so, what does it all mean, barbara? >> well, moving into the red sea, indeed, kate, led by the