Chairman's Press
Chairman Menendez Announces New Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Director
WASHINGTON - Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) announced today he is appointing his longtime aide Damian Murphy as Staff Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Murphy will replace Jessica Lewis, who was confirmed today by the Senate to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. "I am thrilled to announce Damian Murphy as SFRC Staff Director. Damian is a trusted advisor and a respected foreign policy strategist who has been integral in helping… Continue Reading
September 28, 2021
Republicans Again Block Senate from Confirming Critical State Department, USAID Nominees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate Floor to make a series of motions for the Senate to confirm ten highly-qualified foreign affairs and development nominees whose confirmations have been blocked by Senate Republicans for months to prevent the Biden Administration from fully staffing the State Department and USAID. Every one of Senator Menendez's ten live Unanimous Consent requests were blocked by Republica… Continue Reading
September 28, 2021
Top Senate Democrats Sound Alarm on Brazil’s Democratic Decline and Creeping Authoritarianism under President Bolsonaro
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to register their growing concerns over Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's defiance of basic democratic norms. His repeated challenges to the rule of law and promises to disregard rulings of his country's Supreme Court, among other hallmarks of Caudillos, threaten a rupture with constitutional orde… Continue Reading
September 28, 2021
Chairman Menendez Opening Remarks at Committee Hearing on Critical State Department Nominations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following opening statement at this morning's full Committee hearing to consider the nominations of the Honorable Jack A. Markell to be Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador; the Honorable Mark Gitenstein to be Representative of the United States of America to the European Union,… Continue Reading
September 28, 2021
Líderes Demócratas del Senado Suenan la Alarma sobre el Declive Democrático en Brasil y la Creciente Tendencia Autocrática del Presidente Bolsonaro
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, hoy fue acompañado por los Senadores Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) y Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), en expresar su preocupación por la posición del Presidente brasileño Jair Bolsonaro ante el respeto a las normas democráticas de su país. Los frecuentes desafíos al estado de derecho de Bolsonaro, sus promesas de ignorar decisi… Continue Reading
September 27, 2021
Menendez, Risch Urge Transparency, Accountability in Wake of World Bank Data Distortion to Boost China Ranking in Annual Report
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing concerns regarding the recent findings by an independent investigation that Kristalina Georgieva, former World Bank CEO and current Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), pressured staff to distort data to increase China's 2018 ranking in the World Bank's annual "Doing Business" report. The report, produce… Continue Reading
September 24, 2021
Chairman Menendez Blasts Senate Republicans’ Continued Obstructionism as Senate Democrats Force Confirmation Votes on State Department, USAID Nominees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate Floor to condemn Senate Republicans' efforts to delay and obstruct dozens of highly-qualified foreign affairs and development nominees whose unwarranted delays in being confirmed pose significant national security threats to the United States. With Senate Democrats forcing late night votes on Thursday to confirm multiple senior officials at the State Department, Senator M… Continue Reading
September 22, 2021
Menendez, Rubio, Kaine, Cardin, Durbin and Cassidy Introduce Senate Resolution to Strengthen Humanitarian Support for Venezuelan Women and Children
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ranking Member and Chairman of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in introducing a bipartisan Senate resolution expressing Congress's alarm over the growing humanitarian needs of women and children inside Venezuela and those seeking intern… Continue Reading
September 22, 2021
Menéndez, Rubio, Kaine, Cardin, Durbin y Cassidy Presentan Resolución para Fortalecer Apoyo Humanitario a Mujeres y Niños en Venezuela
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, hoy fue acompañado por los Senadores Maro Rubio (R-Fla.) y Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Miembro de Más Alto Rango y Presidente del Subcomité sobre Hemisferio Occidental, al igual que los Senadores Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) y Bill Cassidy (R-La.), en presentar una resolución bipartidista en el Senado expresando la preocupación del Congreso… Continue Reading
September 22, 2021
Chairman Menendez Statement Before Second Panel at Committee Nominations Hearing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following remarks before the second panel at this morning's full Committee hearing to consider the nominations of the Honorable Thomas R. Nides to be U.S. Ambassador to the State of Israel; Mr. David L. Cohen to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada; Dr. Cynthia Ann Telles to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica; Ms. Sarah Margon to be Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy,… Continue Reading
September 22, 2021
Chairman Menendez Opening Remarks at Committee Hearing on Nominations for Israel, Canada, Costa Rica Ambassadors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks at this morning's full Committee hearing to consider the nominations of the Honorable Thomas R. Nides to be U.S. Ambassador to the State of Israel; Mr. David L. Cohen to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada; Dr. Cynthia Ann Telles to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica; Ms. Sarah Margon to be Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, a… Continue Reading
September 21, 2021
Menéndez Insta a la Administración de Biden a Ayudar a Frenar la Participación de México y Otros Países en la Trata de Médicos Cubanos
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores, hoy le pidió a la Administración Biden redoblar sus esfuerzos diplomáticos para ampliar la campaña internacional para poner fin a la trata de personas patrocinado y facilitado por el régimen cubano. En una carta al Secretario de Estado Antony Blinken, el Senador advirtió que la dictadura cubana se está aprovechando de la pandemia del COVID-… Continue Reading
September 21, 2021
Menendez Urges Biden Administration to Help End Mexico, Other Countries’ Participation in the Cuban Regime’s Forced Labor Scheme
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today is calling on the Biden administration to redouble its diplomatic efforts to expand the international campaign to end the Cuban regime's state-sponsored and state-facilitated human trafficking. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Senator warned that the Cuban dictatorship is taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to aggressively increase its exploitation and trafficking… Continue Reading
September 17, 2021
Menendez, Coons on POTUS’ Executive Order Sanctioning Perpetrators of Human Rights Abuses in Tigray Conflict
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following joint statement announcing new forthcoming legislation regarding Ethiopia's civil war after President Biden unveiled a new Executive Order to sanction parties to the conflict in Tigray that are responsible for or co… Continue Reading
September 15, 2021
Menendez, Graham, Young, Cardin Recognize One Year Anniversary of Historic Abraham Accords
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today released the following joint statement recognizing the one-year anniversary of the signing of the historic Abraham Accords: "Today marks the first anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords, a historic breakthrough in the Middle East. "We congratulate the State of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of … Continue Reading
September 14, 2021
Chairman Menendez Delivers Opening Remarks at Full Committee Hearing on U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered opening remarks at this morning's full Committee hearing examining the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan. Testifying before the Committee was Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. "Mr. Secretary, the execution of the U.S. withdrawal was clearly and fatally flawed," Chairman Menendez said. "This Committee expects to receive a full explanation of this Administration's de… Continue Reading
September 13, 2021
Senate Confirms State Department Nominations Critical to U.S. National Security, Efforts to Address Crises in Afghanistan and Haiti
SFRC Chairman Menendez's motions to confirm three nominees are approved, breaking through Republicans' ongoing efforts to block State Department nominees Today's effort follows Republicans' objection to nearly 30 motions to clear nominee backlog for critical national security posts before August state work period WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate Floor to formally request the Senate's unanimous ap… Continue Reading
September 13, 2021
Menendez Introduces Legislation to Boost U.S.-India Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today is introducing the Prioritizing Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation with India Act of 2021. The legislation follows a Congressional Delegation to India in the fall of 2019, during which Senator Menendez engaged with India's Minister of New and Renewable Energy and Indian business leaders to discuss how the U.S. and India can address the threat of climate change and deepen our cooperation on cle… Continue Reading
September 08, 2021
Declaración Conjunta del Senador Menéndez y Homólogos Europeos Sobre Negociaciones para Restaurar la Democracia en Venezuela
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado de EEUU, hoy fue acompañado por sus homólogos del Reino Unido, Alemania, el Parlamento Europeo, Lituania, Letonia, Estonia, la República Checa, Polonia y Dinamarca en emitir la siguiente declaración conjunta en relación con las negociaciones en curso para restaurar el orden constitucional y las instituciones democráticas en Venezuela: "… Continue Reading
September 08, 2021
Chairman Menendez, European Foreign Affairs Committee Chairs Issue Joint Statement on Negotiations to Restore Democracy in Venezuela
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by his counterparts from the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Parliament, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Denmark in issuing the following joint statement regarding ongoing negotiations to restore Venezuela's constitutional order and democratic institutions: "We, the chairs of our respective parliament's Foreign Affairs Committees, welcome the start of com… Continue Reading
