Obama taps Sen. Ron Johnson for UN post

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is nominating Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson to serve as a representative to the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly that begins Tuesday.

The Oshkosh Republican's name was among a slate of presidential nominations announced Friday afternoon.

"I am proud to nominate such impressive men and women to these important roles, and I am grateful they have agreed to lend their considerable talents to this Administration," Obama said in a statement. "I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead."

Johnson, who would continue serving as a senator if his nomination is confirmed, has been a vocal critic of the president's foreign policy, saying as recently as Thursday that Obama's strategy to defeat the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria and Iraq was weak. Johnson, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, equated the president's plan with poking a hornet's nest rather than eliminating it.

The General Assembly is the main deliberative and policy making body of the United Nations and considers things such as the U.N. budget, recommendations for global peace and security, and electing member countries to temporary seats on the U.N. Security Council.

Each of the 193 U.N. member states sends representatives to the assembly, which typically meets in regular session intensively between September and December each year.

Johnson spokeswoman Melinda Whitemarsh Schnell said the senator is honored to be selected.

"Senator Johnson is honored to be appointed by President Obama to serve as a U.S. delegate... to the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly," she said. "This key event brings together all 193 United Nations member states to discuss current events and tackle important international issues."

Originally published here in The Oshkosh Northwestern