Chairman's Press
Menendez Calls on Commerce Department to Stop U.S. Companies from Buying Goods Made by Uyghur Forced Laborers
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross calling on his department to take steps to prevent American companies and consumers from buying goods produced by forced labor in Xinjiang, China. The Chinese government has implemented a repressive system of surveillance and mass internment against millions of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups-and ofte… Continue Reading
March 06, 2020
Menendez Speaks at AFL-CIO on his Newly Released Report on Assessing Labor Rights and Safety in Bangladesh’s Garment Factories
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered the following remarks yesterday at an event to release a new report produced by his staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, investigating labor rights and worker abuses in Bangladesh. Menendez spoke at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington with AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka. Menendez's remarks can be found below: "President Trumka, thank you for that kind introduction a… Continue Reading
March 06, 2020
Menendez Marks International Women’s Day Elevating Plight of 25 Women Political Prisoners
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement marking International Women's Day and calling attention to the many women around the world who have shown courageous leadership and have been detained by their governments as a result. The Senator will submit his full statement into the Senate Record. "Today, I want to highlight twenty-five women who have risked their lives, withstood torture, and been unjustly de… Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Menendez, Rubio, Cruz, Cardin, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Las Damas De Blanco
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ben Cardin (D-Md), and Rick Scott (R-Fla), ahead of the commemoration of International Women's Day, introduced a resolution (S. Res 531) honoring Las Damas de Blanco, a women-led peaceful nonviolent movement in support of freedom and human rights in Cuba, and calling for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. These courageous women gather and march every Sunday in the streets of Havana carry… Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
At AFL-CIO, Senator Menendez Releases Report Assessing Labor Rights and Safety in Bangladesh’s Garment Factories
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released a new Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democratic Staff report investigating the treatment of garment workers, labor rights, and factory safety in Bangladesh. At an event with AFL-CIO's President Richard L. Trumka, Menendez discussed the fight for freedom of association and workers' rights at home and around the world before unveiling the comprehensive report, which comes nearly… Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Menendez, Cruz, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Expressing Support for the People of Nicaragua
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a Senate resolution (S. Res 525) shortly after the two-year anniversary of the enactment of the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA), expressing continued support for the people of Nicaragua as they fight to restore democracy. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), David Perdue (R-G… Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Menendez Statement on Iran’s Increased Stockpile of Enriched Uranium
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report that found Iran has increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to five times what it had in July 2018, as well as documenting Iran's concerted obstruction of IAEA officials from accessing suspected nuclear sites: "It is incredibly disturbing to see Tehran's decision to rapidly increase its stockpile… Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Menendez Delivers Keynote Remarks at AIPAC Policy Conference
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered a keynote address at the closing plenary for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference, where he spoke about the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship. CLICK TO WATCH Below are the Senator's full remarks as delivered: "Good morning! There may be one or two other things happening in the world, both here and in Israel, making headlines today… Continue Reading
March 02, 2020
Menendez Asks Pompeo if Turkey’s Purchase of Russian Weapons Counts Toward NATO Obligations
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seeking the Trump Administration's clarification whether Turkey's purchase of the Russian S400 air defense system will be counted towards Turkey's pledge to increase defense spending under its NATO obligations. After President Trump repeatedly pressured and publicly shamed NATO members to swiftly increase their defense spending to 2% of gross domes… Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Menendez and Reed Oppose Potential U.S. Withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing their concerns about the Trump Administration's expected withdrawal of the United States from the Open Skies Treaty, a key part of America's international arms control strategy. The Open Skies Treaty allows the 34 signatory countries, including… Continue Reading
February 27, 2020
Menendez Statement on Deadly Delhi Riots
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the deadly riots in Delhi: "I am deeply concerned about the impact and consequences resulting from the shocking communal violence that unfolded in Delhi this week, particularly as it relates to India's democracy and human rights. On Sunday, clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act, which I have previously warned th… Continue Reading
February 27, 2020
Menendez & Engel Expand Investigations into Politically-Motivated Retaliation at the State Department
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, earlier this week took further steps in their investigation into reports of politically-motivated retaliation against employees at the State Department. Over the past year, the Committees' investigations, as well as two State Department Inspector General reports from 2019, found that top Administration officials improp… Continue Reading
February 25, 2020
Senators Menendez, Cardin Discuss New GAO Report on Lack of Diversity in the State Department
WASHINGTON - Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today convened a Congressional briefing on the public release of a new GAO report titled "State Department: Additional Steps are Needed to Identify Potential Barriers to Diversity." As co-requesters of the report, Menendez and Cardin addressed a room of government officials and other interested parties about the challenges to building and maintaining a State Depa… Continue Reading
February 24, 2020
Menendez, Schumer, Brown Demand Secretaries Mnuchin And Pompeo Use Authority Congress Granted Them In 2017 and Executive Orders To Immediately Impose New Sanctions On Russia For Reported Ongoing Efforts To Interfere in U.S. 2020 Election
In New Letter To Secretaries Mnuchin And Pompeo, Senators Schumer, Menendez, And Brown Urge President Trump To Act On Reported Intelligence Community Consensus That Russia Is Actively Engaged In Election Interference + Identify And Target For Sanctions Those Responsible The Senators' Letter Comes On Heels Of President Trump's Reported Rejection Of Intelligence Community Consensus That Russia Is Engaged In Election Interference, and His Refusal To Impose Needed Sanctions Senate Dems Say Mnuchi… Continue Reading
February 20, 2020
Menendez Statement on Situation in Idlib, Syria
NEWARK - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding the humanitarian crisis and risk of escalation in Syria's Idlib province. "The unthinkable horrors unfolding in Idlib, Syria have been years in the making. More than 900,000 civilians have fled from the frontlines since December 1, most of whom are women and children. The Syrian regime and Russian aircraft are continuing to hammer civilians and refugees tr… Continue Reading
February 18, 2020
Sens. Menendez, Leahy, Murphy, Van Hollen, Wyden Urge Sec. Pompeo to Address Saudis’ Detention of American Doctor while in Riyadh
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to seek a resolution of the case against Dr. Walid Fitaihi, a Saudi-American physician detained without charge by the Saudi government for nearly two years. The senators' letter calls upon Secretary Pompeo to raise the case… Continue Reading
February 13, 2020
In Keynote Address, Menendez Unveils Post-Impeachment Reform Agenda for Congress
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered keynote remarks laying out a comprehensive series of reform proposals in the wake of President Trump's impeachment and his conduct regarding Ukraine. At a Brookings Institution event titled Transparency and Governance in U.S. Foreign Policy, Menendez examined solutions for the President's commandeering of foreign policy for his own benefit, unprecedented stonewalling of Cong… Continue Reading
February 13, 2020
Menendez, Risch Call for Peaceful Dialogue in El Salvador
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement in response to a dispute between the president and the national assembly in El Salvador: "The United States and El Salvador enjoy a historic partnership, and we strongly support continued economic and security cooperation between our two countries. However, we remain deeply concerned about President Bukele's deplo… Continue Reading
February 12, 2020
In Response to Menendez, Mnuchin Refuses to Commit He Won’t Use Sanctions to Advance Trump’s Political Agenda
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today asked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about whether he could guarantee that the Treasury Department would remain free from political influence from President Trump. Confronted by Menendez at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on President Trump's FY2021 budget proposal, Mnuchin refused to make a commitment that he would not let President Trump pressure him into advancing his political ag… Continue Reading
February 12, 2020
Menendez on UN Blacklist of Companies Doing Business in West Bank Settlements
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report identifying businesses with ties in the Israeli West Bank settlements. "I strongly oppose the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) release of a blacklist of organizations including U.S. companies. This list and its public release were driven b… Continue Reading
