Chairman's Press
Lugar Urges Clinton to Approve Canadian Pipeline
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her approval of the construction of the Keystone oil pipeline across the Canadian border to refineries in the United States. The Indiana State Senate passed a resolution supporting the pipeline, and Lugar transmitted it to Clinton. Copies of the resolution, the letter to Clinton, and a letter to State Sen. Carlin Yoder are attached. ###… Continue Reading
May 03, 2011
Lugar Says Obama Lacks Vision of Success in Afghanistan Strategic Value of Long-Term Engagement and Cost No Longer Justified
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today said, "President Obama must be forthcoming on a definition of success in Afghanistan based on U.S. vital interests and a sober analysis of what is possible to achieve." Lugar said that "with al Qaeda largely displaced from the country, but franchised in other locations, Afghanistan does not carry a strategic value that justifies 100,000 American troops and a $100 billion per year cost, especially … Continue Reading
May 02, 2011
Lugar Statement on Death of Osama Bin Laden
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement Sunday evening regarding the death of Osama bin Laden: The reported death of Osama bin Laden is welcome news, but it in no way eliminates the threat from the terrorism he espoused. This is another reminder that Americans cannot hide from global affairs. Americans must continue to be vigilant to ensure that terrorist groups and rouge states do not obtain weapons of mass de… Continue Reading
April 14, 2011
Lugar Warns Obama Administration of Mission Creep in Libyan War
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding his concerns over a possible expanded NATO mission in the Libyan civil war: The evident confusion surrounding the NATO Ministerial today in Brussels serves as a stark reminder that we have not had the necessary debate here at home about the costs, objectives, and duration of our military intervention in Libya's civil war. The Obama Administration committed U.S.… Continue Reading
April 14, 2011
Lugar Resolution Recognizes Anniversary of Chernobyl Disaster
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced a resolution recognizing the 25th anniversary of the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Ukraine became the first of the former Soviet states to eliminate all their nuclear weapons under the Nunn-Lugar program: Whereas at 1:23 A.M. on April 26, 1986, during an experiment, a major explosion occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Unit 4, a RBMK 1000-type, graphite-mod… Continue Reading
April 06, 2011
Lugar Calls for Increased Transparency and Action to Prevent Fraud in Global Health Programs
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released a report entitled, "Fraud and Abuse of Global Fund Investments at Risk Without Greater Transparency," and called for U.S. action to protect against fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars invested in global health programs. "As we continue to grapple with a $1.4 trillion budget deficit and a $14 trillion national debt, we must be diligent in reviewing all U.S. spending and questioning its necessity… Continue Reading
April 06, 2011
Lugar Says Costly, Ill-Defined War in Libya Looms
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will deliver the following opening statement at a committee hearing today: The Libyan civil war continues with little prospect that the opposition will be able to defeat the Qadhafi regime's forces in the near term, even with the backing of coalition air strikes. The President and members of his team have stated that the removal of Qadhafi is a diplomatic goal of the United States, but not a military go… Continue Reading
April 04, 2011
Lugar announces $32 Million Grant to Purdue to Train Afghan Farmers
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced today that Purdue University has received a grant of $31,991,056 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist in the rebuilding of Afghanistan by training the faculties at five Afghan agricultural universities. "Rebuilding Afghanistan's agricultural economy remains one of the highest priorities for United States interests," Lugar explained. "Purdue agricultural expert… Continue Reading
March 31, 2011
Lugar Calls on President Obama to Define End Game and Costs in Libyan War
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will deliver the following statement at today's hearing on the Obama Administration's war in Libya: I thank the Chairman for holding this important hearing and join him in welcoming Deputy Secretary Steinberg. Over Libya, we have once again witnessed the skill and courage of the men and women of our armed forces. The war fighting prowess of the American military is extraordinary in its capability a… Continue Reading
March 31, 2011
Lugar Urges Colombian President Santos to Extradite Suspected Drug Kingpin Walid Makled to the United States
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement today regarding the extradition of suspected drug kingpin Walid Makled from Colombia: In August of last year, acting on a U.S. arrest warrant issued by a Federal Court in Manhattan, and with support of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Colombian security services arrested Walid Makled Garcia in the town of Cucuta, which sits on the Colombia-Venezuela border. Makled… Continue Reading
March 29, 2011
Lugar Says U.S. Must be Advocate for Religious Freedom
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement today at a Committee nomination hearing: The Foreign Relations Committee again considers the nomination of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook to serve as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. If confirmed, the nominee would serve as principle advisor to the President and Secretary of State on religious liberty issues. Her responsibilities would include submitting the… Continue Reading
March 22, 2011
Lugar Meets with Indiana American Legion Delegation
Senator Dick Lugar and his staff met today with leaders from the American Legion Department of Indiana and the Sons of the American Legion's Detachment of Indiana. The group discussed the importance of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system and the challenges for some Hoosier veterans. The delegation discussed the need for continued support for Hoosier troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the Legion's Operation Comfort Warriors that work to make a wounded soldier'… Continue Reading
March 21, 2011
Lugar: Budget and Troops Too Stretched for Libyan Action
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reiterated his call today for "full congressional debate on the objectives and costs" of President Obama's military actions in Libya, "and a declaration of war" to proceed. "There needs to be a plan about what happens after Gadhafi," Lugar said. "Who will be in charge then, and who pays for this all. President Obama, so far, has only expressed vague hopes." "Congress has been squabbling for months over a bu… Continue Reading
March 21, 2011
Lugar to appear on Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC
Senator Dick Lugar is scheduled to appear live at 1:30 p.m. today on Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss Libya. Lugar will appear at 1:30 p.m. EST. Clips from the episode will be available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29974370/. ###… Continue Reading
March 19, 2011
Lugar to appear on CBS Face the Nation
Senator Dick Lugar is scheduled to appear on Face the Nation on CBS on Sunday, March 20, to discuss Libya. Lugar will appear at 10:30 a.m. EST. Clips from the episode will be available at http://www.cbsnews.com/ftn.… Continue Reading
March 17, 2011
Lugar applauds opening of Nunn-Lugar Bio-Threat Laboratory in Tbilisi, Georgia
U.S. Senator Dick Lugar today hailed the latest advancement in protecting Americans against global biological risks through Nunn-Lugar Global. The Nunn-Lugar Central Public Health Research Laboratory is opening in Tbilisi, Georgia. Nunn-Lugar labs are critical for cooperative efforts to identify and report potentially deadly pathogens before they can spread. "I am confident that the CPHRL will become a premier center for disease surveillance, reference, and research and advance the security o… Continue Reading
March 17, 2011
Lugar Says War Spending Must be Considered in Libya Debate
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered the following remarks at a committee hearing today on developments in the Middle East: I join the Chairman in welcoming Secretary Burns. I am pleased that the Foreign Relations Committee is meeting to discuss the challenges stemming from the upheaval that has swept the Middle East over the past three months. There has been dramatic change, but we are only at the very beginning of a long proce… Continue Reading
March 15, 2011
Lugar, Stutzman Introduce Bill to Ensure U.S. Farmers Are Represented in Environmental Decisions
Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congressmen Bruce Braley (D-IA) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation that would ensure that American farmers are represented in the decision-making process for environmental policies and regulations that could affect U.S. agriculture. The Klobuchar-Lugar Representation for Farmers Act would give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to appoint up to three members with agricultural backgrounds to the Environmen… Continue Reading
March 15, 2011
Lugar Tells Christian Coalition Costs of Foreign Oil Are Too High
Senator Dick Lugar delivered the following remarks at an energy conference held by the Christian Coalition today in Washington: It is a great pleasure to join you today for this important discussion on energy, faith, and family. I want to thank Roberta Combs for her invitation and for her personal leadership and advocacy that solving our energy crisis is fundamental to ensuring the security, economy, and well-being of all Americans. Hoosiers and Americans feel the pain of our foreign oil … Continue Reading
March 14, 2011
Lugar Says Arab League Should Pay for Libyan No-Fly Zone
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement: On Saturday, March 12, in a consensus decision, the Arab League endorsed a no-fly zone over Libya imposed by Western nations. What was not included in the Arab League's decision was any commitment to provide resources for the costs of a no-fly zone. Any effective no-fly zone likely would require American participation and military assets. Such an operation could c… Continue Reading
