John Boehner did not envision he would be as engaged in foreign policy issues as he is now, but the House Speaker believes the Obama administration's failure to address the global chaos requires his involvement.
"I wouldn't have believed that I would be involved in as much foreign policy as I am today. And it certainly isn't by choice. It's just that the world is on fire. And I don't think enough Americans or enough people in the administration understand how serious the problems that we're facing in the world are," Boehner says in an
interview with Politico.
Boehner is even more concerned about the state of world affairs since he embarked on a week-long trip through Israel and the Middle East.
"You've heard me say this for two years. I am even more convinced of it today. Here's the essence of what I've learned on this trip: The problem is growing faster than what we and our allies are doing to try to stop it," Boehner said from his hotel in Jerusalem.
"We've got some big, serious problems, and there's no overarching strategy to deal with it," said the Ohio Republican about the administration's foreign policy vision.
The speaker's analysis echoed the concerns of James Jeffrey, Obama's former ambassador to Iraq, who
told Politico that the U.S. is "in a damn free fall here [Middle East.]"
In terms of the most pressing issue at the moment – nuclear talks between global powers and Iran – Boehner says Obama appears too willing to make any kind of deal while other global partners want something of substance.
"What bothers me is it looks like the administration is so hungry for a deal just to have a deal so they can say they have a deal. The rest of the world wants something real out of this," he contends.
In Israel, Boehner sat down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also met with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last Sunday,
Voice of America reports.
While many in Congress have expressed a desire to have a voice on whatever deal emerges from the talks with Iran taking place in Switzerland, lawmakers will also be working with the administration to reach an agreement to authorize the use of military force against ISIS.
Boehner said he personally lobbied Obama to send an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to Congress, but is more skeptical today about the chances of reaching a deal.
The speaker left for the Middle East last weekend and has traveled to Iraq and Jordan as well with a congressional delegation that includes House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, and New Jersey Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense,
according to The Washington Examiner.
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