Chairman's Press
ICYMI: Chairman Risch Discusses Greater Transatlantic Cooperation on China with EU, U.K. Parliamentarians
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a virtual event with Member of European Parliament David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, to mark the release of his new report, "The United States and Europe: A Concrete Agenda for Transatlantic Cooperation on China." Th… Continue Reading
November 18, 2020
Chairman Risch Publishes Report, Discusses Greater Transatlantic Cooperation on China with Parliamentarians
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today published a majority report entitled "The United States and Europe: A Concrete Agenda for Transatlantic Cooperation on China,"to advance greater collaboration between the United States and Europe on the challenges posed by China. Risch is convening a virtual event to mark the release of the report with Member of European Parliament David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's Committ… Continue Reading
November 12, 2020
Chairman Risch: All Sides Must Cease Fighting, Pursue Dialogue in Ethiopia
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement regarding the ongoing fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region between the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF): "The risk of the conflict in Ethiopia descending into civil war is a real, present, and immediate danger to regional stability, U.S. national security interests, and, most importantly, the safety and w… Continue Reading
November 12, 2020
*ADVISORY*: Chairman Risch to Publish Report Outlining Agenda for Transatlantic Cooperation on China
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), will convene a virtual conversation with Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and Member of European Parliament David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. EST / 5:00 P.M. CET to unveil a new report from the SFRC majority. The … Continue Reading
October 29, 2020
Risch, Shaheen on Georgia’s Upcoming Parliamentary Elections
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today released the following statement ahead of Georgia's upcoming parliamentary elections: "Since we traveled together to observe Georgia's 2012 parliamentary elections, we have watched democracy deepen and the economy grow. As Georgians prepare to vote in this weekend's parliamentary elections, it is important that all parties respect and abide by international sta… Continue Reading
October 27, 2020
Risch, Cornyn, Menendez, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Designate Uyghur Human Rights Abuses by China as Genocide
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) yesterday in introducing a bipartisan resolution to designate human rights abuses perpetrated by the People's Republic of China against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as genocide. The resolution would hold China accountable under the 1948 United Nations Convention… Continue Reading
October 23, 2020
Chairman Risch on Launch of U.S.-EU Dialogue on China
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding today's launch of a U.S.-EU dialogue on China: "Today's launch of a U.S.-EU dialogue on China, led by Secretary Pompeo and European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy Borrell, is a very welcome development. Advancing transatlantic cooperation on the political, economic, and security challenges posed by the Chinese government is one of my top pri… Continue Reading
October 23, 2020
Chairman Risch: Today Marks a Turning Point for Sudan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the announcement of the Trump Administration's intent to formally rescind Sudan's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), as well as the announcement of the normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel: "Today's historic announcement is the start of a new chapter of U.S.-Sudan relations. Removing Sudan's SST designation will help move the… Continue Reading
October 16, 2020
Chairman Risch: Turkey’s Test of S-400 System is Unacceptable
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding Turkey's S-400 missile defense system testing today: "Turkey's test of the Russian S-400 missile defense system is unacceptable behavior from a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally. It further damages the alliance and poses a direct threat to the F-35 and other U.S. and NATO allies' systems. "Turkey and Russia have a deep history of disagreem… Continue Reading
October 13, 2020
ICYMI: Chairman Risch: Putin’s Russia is a Dictatorship
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently spoke with Keir Simmons of NBC News about the state of U.S.-Russia relations. When asked about President Putin's leadership in Russia, the chairman responded: "This is a one-man show. This is a dictatorship. You can hang all the camouflage you want on it, but this is a dictatorship." "[Putin] is not going to all of the sudden have an epiphany and wake up and decide that [Russia is] … Continue Reading
October 05, 2020
Chairman Risch: Tanzania Officials Must Correct Past Errors and Hold Credible Vote
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement regarding the recent suspension of the leading Tanzanian opposition candidate's campaign by electoral officials: "Suspending the leading opposition candidate's presidential campaign on bogus charges raises serious questions about the independence of Tanzania's electoral commission. The political violence and repression of opposition candidates, restrictions on independ… Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Risch, Inhofe, Menendez, Colleagues Urge Lighthizer to Begin Talks for a Trade Agreement with Taiwan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), co-chairs of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, and 47 other Senate colleagues in sending a letter encouraging U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to begin the formal process of negotiating a comprehensive trade agreement with Taiwan. "As we look to advance our initiative for a free and open Indo-Pacific, we believe that now is t… Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Risch, Rubio, Portman, Johnson: Armenia and Azerbaijan Must immediately Cease Violence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) today released the following statement on the escalation of fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh: "The rapid escalation of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region is extremely worrying. Sadly, over the past five days, both sides have faced nee… Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Risch, Casey, McCollum, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing a Decade of Results Under Feed the Future; Continued Need to Combat Global Hunger and Poverty
WASHINGTON - In advance of World Food Day, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), along with U.S. Representatives Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.), introduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing a decade of results under the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) signature global food security program, Feed the Future, and the need to continue efforts to accelerate inclusive a… Continue Reading
September 30, 2020
Risch, Menendez Request Administration Investigation into Novichok Poisoning of Alexei Navalny
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting that the administration consider whether the Russian government poisoned Alexei Navalny with a chemical nerve agent. "We are very concerned by assessments that Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was poisoned in August 2020, by a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok family," the mem… Continue Reading
September 29, 2020
Chairman Risch on Passing of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the passing of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah: "I offer my deepest condolences to the people of Kuwait on the passing of His Highness, Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness was a deeply respected leader and an unwavering partner to the United States. We honor his tireless efforts to mediate conflict and foster pea… Continue Reading
September 28, 2020
Risch Reaffirms Support for Credible Legislative Elections in Venezuela
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement regarding the upcoming illegitimate elections in Venezuela: "The Venezuelan people continue to suffer atrocities at the hands of a nearly totalitarian, criminal regime. For more than a year, Nicolás Maduro has worked to consolidate power by violently attempting to take over the National Assembly, naming a regime-controlled electoral council, taking control of po… Continue Reading
September 25, 2020
Chairman Risch Welcomes Foreign Relations Committee Fall Interns
BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently welcomed five new committee interns for the fall term. "The Senate Foreign Relations Committee majority is glad to welcome five new interns for the fall term," said Risch. "While Capitol Hill looks a little different during the COVID-19 pandemic, these students and recent graduates are experiencing firsthand how Congress handles major global issues. I am confident they will do an excell… Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
Chairman Risch to Iran: Deterrence Has Been Restored
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today warned Iran of the potential consequences of its actions during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy in the Middle East. "I want to drill down very, very specifically on the outside chance that the Iranians are monitoring this. I want to say clearly, deterrence has been restored. Soleimani is dead. His replacement is a weak, weak substitute for Soleimani - he does no… Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
Chairman Risch Opening Statement at Hearing on U.S. Policy in a Changing Middle East
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today convened a full committee hearing on U.S. policy in a changing Middle East, with witness testimony from Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale and U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams. Chairman Risch gave the following opening statement: "This hearing will come to order. "I thank our witnesses for appearing today to discuss recent events i… Continue Reading
