WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, reiterated his opposition to President Bush's call for an increase in U.S. troops in Iraq Thursday, and told CNN Congress needs to use its powers to "refocus the war on terror."

"I think the Congress needs to use its influence to refocus the American war on terror," Smith told Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."The U.S. must make sure that "whatever emerges, Iraq is not al Qaeda and is not Iran that is bent on spreading jihadism to its neighbors and to us."

Asked how far he thinks Congress should go to prevent the president from implementing his plan, Smith said he is against both cutting off funds for the war -- a plan advocated by Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold earlier Thursday -- and cutting off funds just for a troop surge -- a plan advocated by several Democrats.

"I would rather work on the authorization to narrow it in a way that reflects America's greater enduring interests, long term interests in the war on terror," Smith said. "And I'm not sure I've seen anyone's proposal yet that does quite that."