GREENVILLE — U.S. Representative Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) said “failure to act” on North Korea is not an option, while speaking to Darke County Chamber of Commerce members during the Chamber’s annual “State of the Nation” luncheon held Friday at Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville.
Speaking on continued threats and nuclear missile testing being conducted by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Davidson said, “If he chooses that course of action, it will be very dangerous for a lot of people, and I think everyone is working very hard to try to help convince to not choose that course of action. If he does, even as [former] President Obama alluded to, we have the ability to destroy North Korea.”
President Donald Trump told delegates at the United Nations General Assembly September 19, “The U.S. has great strength and patience but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”
“It is high stakes, and it is pretty serious,” said Davidson. “North Korea is basically rejecting every path of diplomacy that’s out there.”
On domestic matters, Davidson said he hoped Congress would pass significant tax policy reforms during its current session.
“I don’t like our current tax policy,” he said. “I support massive, big, bold, permanent tax reform. Incremental, weak, finicky tax reform is better than no tax reform, but I’m hoping we go big, bold and permanent.”
Asked for his thoughts on border safety, Davidson said he feels new leadership in Washington is making a positive difference in border enforcement.
“Securing the borders for me is a national security issue, it’s not a social policy issue,” said Davidson, saying $1.5 trillion in illegal drugs were crossing America’s southern border each year.
On the subject of illegal aliens already living in the United States, Davidson said while he supported a pathway to citizenship, it would need to be only one part of a broader legislative effort including stronger border security, withholding federal funds from “sanctuary cities,” and ending birthright citizenship.
