Story highlights "I believe by mid-July we will be able to brief you in detail," Mattis said

In May, the Pentagon said it was considering sending additional troops to Afghanistan

Washington (CNN) US Secretary of Defense James Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that he will be able to brief the committee on a new Afghanistan strategy by mid-July.

"I believe by mid-July we will be able to brief you in detail," Mattis said, "We are putting it together now and there are actions being taken to make certain we don't pay a price for the delay."

Mattis was replying to questioning from Sen. John McCain, who expressed exasperation that the administration is being so slow to outline its strategy, remarking that it's "Not a helluva lot to ask ... We just lost three brave Americans, when can we expect the Congress of the United States to get a strategy for Afghanistan that is a departure from the last eight years, which is 'don't lose'?"

McCain was referencing the three US soldiers who were killed during a joint US-Afghan military operation Saturday in Nangarhar province.

In May, the Pentagon said it was considering sending additional troops to Afghanistan as part of a broader set of recommendations on how to adjust the US military approach in Afghanistan.

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