Chairman's Press
Chairman Menendez on Biden Administration’s Russia Sanctions over Navalny Poisoning
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement following the Biden administration's announcement that it will impose a new wave of sanctions on multiple Russian government officials and entities in response to the Kremlin's attempted murder of anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny: "Today's announcement sends a clear signal of accountability that the United States will not turn a blind eye to those who use these t… Continue Reading
February 26, 2021
Chairman Menendez and European Allies on Political Situation in Georgia
NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined his counterparts from Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and the Czech Republic in issuing the following statement regarding recent anti-democratic developments in Georgia: "The storming of the office of the United National Movement, the largest opposition party in Georgia, in order to arrest Nika Melia, its Chairman, exposed the fragility of democracy and freedom in Georgi… Continue Reading
February 26, 2021
Menendez Statement on the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol
NEWARK - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement on the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol, marking seven years since Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea: "On this solemn anniversary, I stand with the Ukrainian people in rejecting the Russian government's ongoing illegal occupation of Crimea. Nothing that the Kremlin says or does will change the fact that Crimea is Ukraine, and Congress h… Continue Reading
February 26, 2021
Chairman Menendez Statement on U.S. Intelligence Report on the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi
NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to the Biden administration's publication of a U.S. intelligence report on Saudi Arabia's assassination of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi: "Today the United States government finally acknowledged what the rest of the world has already known: Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman personally approved the operation in which Saud… Continue Reading
February 25, 2021
Chairman Menendez Statement for Senate Record on Escalating Violence in Darfur Following UNAMID Dissolution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, submitted the following statement for the Senate Record in response to ongoing tensions and violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The statement calls for the United Nations Security Council to reconsider its December 2020 move to dissolve the United Nations - African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), which had a Chapter VII peacekeeping mandate allowing it to provide critical support a… Continue Reading
February 24, 2021
Chairman Menendez Statement in Observance of Estonia’s Independence Day
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in observance of Estonia's Independence Day, February 24: "I extend my best wishes to the Estonian people as you celebrate your Independence Day. As a NATO ally, Estonia has been instrumental in advancing our shared security against regional threats, particularly in the cybersecurity space, and in standing up for democracy and human rights. I am also grateful for… Continue Reading
February 22, 2021
Menendez Remarks Ahead of Cloture Vote for Linda Thomas-Greenfield as UN Ambassador
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of today's vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. "What the United States desperately needs right now at the UN is renewal and reengagement with key alliances and institutions," Senator Menendez said. "Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has the expertise, the strength, and the cha… Continue Reading
February 16, 2021
Chairman Menendez Statement in Observance of Lithuania’s Restoration of the State Day
NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in observance of Lithuania's Restoration of the State Day, February 16: "I send my best wishes to the Lithuanian people as they celebrate Restoration of the State Day. Lithuania has a long history of standing against foreign occupations and defending its people, resulting in a thriving democracy that the United States is proud to have as a close friend and NATO ally. L… Continue Reading
February 16, 2021
Menendez Statement on Deadly Rocket Attack in Erbil
NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in response to last night's rocket attack on a U.S. facility in Iraq's Kurdistan region: "I strongly condemn yesterday's attack in Erbil and send my condolences to the families of the U.S. contractor who was killed and the U.S. service member and other contractors who were injured. This latest attack demonstrates the importance of robust security cooperation between th… Continue Reading
February 11, 2021
Menendez Expresses Support for Independent Media in Poland
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement expressing concerns following the Polish government's proposed advertising tax targeting independent media: "I am deeply concerned by the Polish government's effort to impose a new tax on independent media companies' advertising revenue. This measure could undermine the financial viability of Poland's independent media, a necessity for any democracy. No government … Continue Reading
February 10, 2021
Menendez, Rubio Seek Answers about Amazon Dealings with Chinese Company Reportedly Complicit in Uyghur Genocide
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), in calling on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to detail the nature of his company's dealings with Dahua Technology Co., a Chinese company that has reportedly developed facial recognition software to recognize and report detection of Uyghur Muslims to Chinese authorities, facilitating the Ch… Continue Reading
February 10, 2021
Chairman Menendez Welcomes Biden Administration’s Sanctions on Burma
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement today after the Biden administration announced it will respond to the coup in Myanmar by freezing U.S. government assistance and imposing economic sanctions: "I welcome today's announcement by President Biden that his administration will take concrete and targeted measures to demonstrate to the Burmese military that their actions are unacceptable. As I've said bef… Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Menendez, Rubio Lead Resolution in Support of Interim President Guaidó and Condemning Venezuela’s Fraudulent Legislative Elections
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing a Senate resolution (S. Res. 44) condemning last year's fraudulent legislative elections by the Maduro regime. The resolution also denounces the lack of free, fair, and transparent elections in Venezuela, as well as the continued erosion … Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Menéndez, Rubio, y Colegas Presentan Resolución Bipartidista
Washington, D.C. - Los senadores estadounidenses Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), y Ben Cardin (D-Md.) lideraron una resolución (S. Res. 44) condenando las fraudulentas elecciones legislativas del año pasado convocadas por el régimen de Maduro. La resolución también denunció la falta de elecciones libres, justas y t… Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Menendez, Rubio Lead Bipartisan Group of Colleagues in Re-Introducing the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) in re-introducing the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act. This bipartisan legislation would ensure those Hong Kongers wh… Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Chairman Menendez on President Biden’s Iran Strategy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement today in support of President Biden's recent comments outlining his administration's Iran strategy: "I applaud President Biden for saying this weekend that his administration will not offer significant sanctions relief to the Iranians to get them back to the negotiating table and concur that Iran must stop enriching uranium. I support the administration's efforts t… Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Chairman Menendez on Electoral Crisis in Somalia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding Somalia's escalating electoral crisis after President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed's mandate expired without an agreement on the conduct of previously scheduled elections: "I am alarmed by the escalating electoral crisis in Somalia and the real risk of bloodshed as a result of the current political deadlock. The current impasse between President Fa… Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
Senadores Presentan Resolución Bipartidista en Apoyo al Movimiento San Isidro de Cuba
WASHINGTON - Los Senadores Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), el presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) y Ben Cardin (D-Md.) presentaron ayer una Resolución expresando la solidaridad del Senado con el Movimiento San Isidro de Cuba, un grupo de artistas y activistas independientes que han sido acosados recientemente por el régimen Cubano por protestar por su derecho a la libertad de expresión. La resolució… Continue Reading
February 09, 2021
U.S. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Resolution in Support of Cuba’s San Isidro Movement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) were joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in introducing a Senate resolution expressing the U.S. Senate's solidarity with Cuba's San Isidro Movement, a collective of independent artists and activists who have recently been targeted by the Cuban regime for protesting in support of their right to freedom of expression. The bipartisan resolution ca… Continue Reading
February 05, 2021
Menendez, Barrasso Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Greece’s 200th Independence Day
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) in introducing a bipartisan Senate resolution commemorating the 200th anniversary of Greek Independence Day, March 25, 2021. The bipartisan resolution celebrates the commitment to democracy that Greece and the United States share as well as the two nations' lasting partnership and rich history of friendship. "It is with great pride that I stand with G… Continue Reading