U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is a representative to this week’s 71st U.N. General Assembly, which is scheduled to include a focus on climate change and dealing with war refugees from Syria. On the latter issue, the Wisconsin Republican says the U.S. has failed to lead.
“Since President Obama drew the ‘red line,’ there’s hundreds of thousands of additional Syrians who’ve been slaughtered by Assad,” said Johnson.
Johnson said American leadership is essential, if the refugee crisis is to be solved. “We’re not doing it (leading), so events in Syria continue to spin out of control, and of course this was all set up by President Obama’s strategic blunder of historic proportions, of not heeding the lessons of history and not leaving a stabilizing force in Iraq.”
On climate change, Johnson said “we all want a clean environment, but we also have to realize that the only way to have a clean environment is to have a healthy economy.” Johnson said strong economic growth can pay for the pollution controls needed to protect the environment.”
President Obama named Johnson, who’s in the midst of a reelection campaign with Democrat Russ Feingold, as one of two U.S. representatives to the General Assembly. Obama addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, the final time he’ll address the world body as president.