Chairman's Press
Risch, Menendez Statement on Removal of Sudanese President from Power
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement about the removal of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir from power by the Sudanese military: "We stand in solidarity with the Sudanese people, who for months have taken to the streets to reclaim their country from a ruthless military regime, led by a war criminal that has ruled through fear, violence, and the repression of democ… Continue Reading
April 10, 2019
Risch Commends Senate for Swift Confirmation of Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today commended his Senate colleagues for their overwhelming support of General John P. Abizaid (Ret.), to be U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. General Abizaid was confirmed by a vote of 92-7. "I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together today to confirm General John Abizaid as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, a post that is of incredible importance in an unsta… Continue Reading
April 10, 2019
Chairman Risch Opening Statement at State Department Budget Request Hearing
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a hearing on the State Department's budget request for FY 2020, with testimony from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Chairman Risch gave the following opening statement: "Good morning and welcome. Our topic today is the State Department's fiscal year 2020 budget request and our witness is the right man to answer questions about that request, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "One… Continue Reading
April 08, 2019
Leading Senators Call on Sec. Pompeo to Raise Key Concerns during Bilateral Meeting with Egyptian President Sisi
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were joined by a group of 15 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo encouraging him to raise key issues and concerns with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at their scheduled bilateral meeting later this week. "There is strong, bipartisan support in Congress for a security partnership with Egypt that a… Continue Reading
April 08, 2019
Risch Statement on Terror Designation for Iranian Regime
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today made the following statement regarding the State Department's announcement of plans to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO): "With the full support of the Iranian regime, the IRGC has supported terrorism in the Middle East and across the globe for 40 years," said Risch. "The IRGC fuels regional instability, particularly through its… Continue Reading
April 04, 2019
Risch Statement on Passage of Senate NATO Resolution
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today made the following statement regarding the passage of a Senate resolution in support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and in recognition of the great accomplishments the organization has made over the past 70 years: "It is because NATO is so imperative to peace and stability in the U.S. and abroad that the alliance has the support of nearly every member of Congress - assured… Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
Chairman Risch Applauds Committee Passage of 23 Nominees, Seven Other Pieces of Legislation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a committee business meeting during which members voted out 23 nominees and seven other pieces of legislation. "I am pleased that our committee was able to come together today and vote out a sizable number of the president's nominees, as well as seven very important resolutions," said Risch. "Today we made great strides in staffing up the State Department by advancing to the floor … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
Chairman Risch Opening Statement at NATO Hearing
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a hearing on "NATO at 70: A Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century". The committee heard testimony from Mr. Ian Brzezinski, Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Dr. Karen Donfried, President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "NATO is the most successful political-military alliance in the world precisely because it defends common values and princ… Continue Reading
March 30, 2019
Chairman Risch Statement on Women Activists Released in Saudi Arabia
Chairman Risch Statement on Women Activists Released in Saudi Arabia Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement following news reports that the government of Saudi Arabia has temporarily released three of the 11 women activists who are imprisoned and currently on trial in Saudi Arabia: "I welcome news that three of the 11 activists who have been unjustly detained for promoting women's rights in Saudi Arabia we… Continue Reading
March 28, 2019
Risch, Menendez, Tillis, Shaheen, Johnson, and Murphy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation in Recognition of NATO 70th Anniversary
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with their colleagues Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Chris Murphy (D-CT), have introduced bipartisan legislation in support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and in recognition of the great accomplishments the organization has made over the past 70 years. "NATO is the greatest political-milit… Continue Reading
March 28, 2019
Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Senate Resolution Condemning Terrorist Attacks in New Zealand
WASHINGTON - In the wake of this month's terrorist attack in New Zealand, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (D-Idaho), the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were joined by Senators Gary Peters (D-Mi.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in introducing a bipartisan Senate resolution condemning the March 15, 2019 attack in … Continue Reading
March 27, 2019
Chairman Risch Statement on Nominations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today made the following statement regarding nominations: "There are a number of vital positions that are waiting to be filled at the State Department. Today our committee had the opportunity to hear from three very qualified nominees who will bring a wealth of expertise to the positions for which they are nominated, and we badly need their leadership at this time. "To correct the record, we have… Continue Reading
March 22, 2019
Risch Statement Regarding New Sanctions on Iran
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today made the following statement regarding the administration's announcement of new sanctions on 14 individuals and 17 entities related to nuclear weapons development in Iran: "I applaud the Trump administration's decision to designate 31 Iranian individuals and entities linked to the nuclear related activities carried out by the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND). Sanctio… Continue Reading
March 13, 2019
Chairman Risch Statement on Yemen Resolution
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement after voting in opposition to S.J.Res.7, a joint resolution that directs removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen: "There is no arguing that, after four years of conflict, Yemen-a country with a long history of socio-economic challenges-is now in the grip of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. An estimated 24 million people-80% of the Yemeni populat… Continue Reading
March 13, 2019
Chairman Risch Statement on State Department's 2018 Human Rights Report
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement on the release of the Annual Human Rights Report by the Department of State: "The Annual Human Rights Report provides the opportunity to name and shame countries who are failing to support the most basic human rights of their citizens such as Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and China. The report reminds us of the lengths governments will go to silence their own citizens through… Continue Reading
March 13, 2019
Chairman Risch Opening Statement at Hearing on A New Approach for an Era of U.S.-China Competition
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a hearing on "A New Approach for an Era of U.S.-China Competition." The committee heard testimony from the Honorable Jim Talent, a former U.S. senator and current commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and Dr. Oriana Mastro, Associate Professor of Security Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Chairman R… Continue Reading
March 11, 2019
Chairman Risch Statement Following Yemen Briefing with Martin Griffiths
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following remarks after a briefing for all members of the Senate led by Mr. Martin Griffiths, United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen: "We still have a long way to go to solve the crisis in Yemen - a country that's been ravaged by years of proxy war and fractious infighting, with 24 million Yemenis in dire need of food and medical assistance," said Risch. "Tonight my colleagues and I had t… Continue Reading
March 07, 2019
Risch, Menendez Introduce Legislation In Support of Canada’s Actions To Uphold The Rule Of Law In Huawei Extradition Request
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have introduced bipartisan legislation that commends Canada for upholding the rule of law and expressing concern over actions by China in response to a request from the U.S. to Canada calling for extradition of Huawei Technologies executive, Meng Wanzhou. Original cosponsors of this legislation are Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mitt Romney (R-U… Continue Reading
March 06, 2019
Chairman Risch Opening Statement at Nomination Hearing For Ambassadors to Saudia Arabia and Iraq
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a hearing on two nominations. The nominees are General John Abizaid to be Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Ambassador Matthew Tueller to be Ambassador to Iraq. Chairman Risch delivered the following opening remarks: "As far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, we have a shared security interest with Saudi Arabia in combating Sunni extremism and Iranian influence in the region, and we sho… Continue Reading
March 04, 2019
Chairman Risch Statement on Global Magnitsky Sanctions Briefing
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement after a committee briefing from the administration on the status of the Global Magnitsky investigation related to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi: "The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a briefing with administration officials tonight to receive additional information on the investigation of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. In addition, written materials from the Sta… Continue Reading
