Chairman's Press
Menendez, Risch, Meeks, McCaul Joint Statement on Houthi Breach of U.S. Embassy in Yemen
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following joint statement to condemn the Houthi breach of the U.S. Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, and the subsequent harassment and detainment of U.S. current and former locally-employed staff: "We a… Continue Reading
November 12, 2021
Chairman Menendez Statement on Lukashenka Regime’s Trafficking of Migrants at the Border with the EU and NATO
JERSEY CITY, NJ - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement condemning the Lukashenka regime's politically-motivated trafficking of thousands of migrants at the Eastern borders of the EU and NATO: "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the Lukashenka regime's trafficking of vulnerable migrant families to the borders of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia to instigate a political and humanitarian crisis. "The real … Continue Reading
November 09, 2021
Chairman Menendez, Colleagues Urge Greater Clarity, Transparency Regarding Upcoming Summit for Democracy
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today was joined by seven of his Senate colleagues in writing a letter to President Joe Biden in advance of the upcoming December Summit for Democracy calling for clarity and transparency regarding the criteria used to determine which countries were invited to participate in the Summit, what role civil society will play in planning and execution, and what specific commitments the Administration will put forth during t… Continue Reading
November 08, 2021
Menendez, Meeks Urge Cybersecurity Engagement with Private, Public Sector Partners at Paris Peace Forum
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined today by Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in writing to Vice President Kamala Harris in advance of her upcoming travel to the Paris Peace Forum to express support for the Biden-Harris administration's reinvigorated emphasis on U.S. leadership on cybersecurity and technology issues. The lawmakers also requested additional information… Continue Reading
November 08, 2021
Menendez, Risch, Cassidy Lead Colleagues in Calling Out Fraudulent Elections in Nicaragua
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), SFRC Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today led Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) in releasing the following statement after the sham elections in Nicaragua on November 7: "We strongly condemn the Ortega-Murillo regime's fraudulent attempt to maintain pow… Continue Reading
November 05, 2021
Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committee Leaders Introduce Bicameral Resolution Condemning Coup in Sudan
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Michael T. McCaul (R-Texas), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement following the introduction of a concurrent resolution condemning the October 25, 2021 military coup in Sudan: "We strongly condemn the actions of General Burhan and al… Continue Reading
November 05, 2021
El Senador Menéndez y 16 Presidentes de Comités de Relaciones Exteriores de Europa y Latinoamérica se Unen en Rechazo a las Elecciones Fraudulentas en Nicaragua
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores, hoy fue acompañado por sus homólogos de los Comités de Relaciones Exteriores en el Reino Unido, Lituania, Parlamento Europeo, España, Estonia, Letonia, la Republica Checa, Colombia, Costa Rica, Suecia, Irlanda, Polonia, Ucrania, Moldavia y Ecuador para emitir una declaración conjunta en vísperas de las elecciones fraudulentas en Nicaragua prevista… Continue Reading
November 05, 2021
Chairman Menendez, 16 Foreign Affairs Committee Chairs From Europe, Western Hemisphere Join Forces in Rejecting Sham Elections in Nicaragua
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by his Foreign Affairs Committee counterparts from the United Kingdom, Lithuania, European Parliament, Spain, Estonia, Latvia, Czechia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Sweden, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, and Ecuador in issuing the following joint statement in advance of Nicaragua's sham elections on Sunday, November 7: "We, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees of our respective parli… Continue Reading
November 05, 2021
Menendez, Risch Introduce Comprehensive Global Health Legislation as Amendment to NDAA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday introduced their International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act (S. 2297) as an amendment to the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bipartisan legislation, passed out of committee on July 28, 2021, improves global health and pandemic preparedness and enhances COVID-19 response efforts. "We must not relent in… Continue Reading
November 04, 2021
Menendez, Risch, Coons Introduce New Sanctions Bill Targeting Parties Involved in Conflict in Tigray
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) were joined today by State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) in marking one year since the beginning of the conflict in Ethiopia with the introduction of their Ethiopia Peace and Democracy Promotion Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation to bolster the United States' diplomatic, development, and legal response to support democra… Continue Reading
November 04, 2021
Chairman Menendez Announces NDAA Amendments to Hold Turkey and Azerbaijan Accountable
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced two of the foreign policy amendments he is filing to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). As the primary vehicle for authorizing defense spending for Fiscal Year 2022, Chairman Menendez's proposed changes to the NDAA seek to significantly improve the U.S. government's ability to track and assess the national security implications of the proliferation of Turkey's unmanned aeri… Continue Reading
November 03, 2021
Menéndez, Rubio, Sires, Salazar y sus Colegas Celebran Aprobación Final del Proyecto de Ley RENACER en la Cámara de Representantes
WASHINGTON - Los Senadores Bob Menéndez (D-N.J), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, y Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Miembro de Más Alto Rango del Subcomité sobre el Hemisferio Occidental, y los Congresistas Albio Sires (D-N.J.-08), Presidente del Subcomité sobre el Hemisferio en la Cámara, y María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.-27) hoy aplaudieron la aprobación del Proyecto de Ley Reforzar el Cumplimiento de Condiciones para la Refo… Continue Reading
November 03, 2021
Menendez, Rubio, Sires, Salazar, Colleagues Celebrate Final Passage of RENACER Act
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Ranking Member Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Albio Sires (D-NJ-08), and Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), were joined today by a group of seven of their colleagues in applauding the House of Representatives' final passage of their Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral … Continue Reading
November 03, 2021
SFRC Approves 14 Critical Foreign Policy Nominations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered the below remarks following the Committee's approval of 14 State Department, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other critical national security nominations at today's committee business meeting. The nominations now move favorably to the Floor for consideration by the full Senate. "I am pleased that we have 14 nominees that moved [out of committee] today… Continue Reading
November 02, 2021
Senate Republicans Again Block Senate from Confirming Critical State Department Nominees
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today took to the Floor to make a series of motions seeking the Senate's unanimous approval of nine highly-qualified foreign affairs nominees. All but one of the motions was blocked by Senate Republicans, prolonging an unprecedented nominations backlog for domestic political reasons and continuing to undermine the national security of the United States and our allies. "Nominees who should be the face of the U… Continue Reading
November 02, 2021
Menéndez Aplaude Actualización y Aprobación del Proyecto de Ley RENACER por el Senado para Acelerar Visto Bueno por la Cámara de Representantes
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (DN.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, emitió las siguientes declaraciones después de que el Senado aprobara anoche su legislación para aumentar drásticamente la participación diplomática estadounidense en respuesta al uso de tácticas represivas por Daniel Ortega para intimidar, inhabilitar o arrestar a todos los aspirantes o candidatos de la oposición en v&iacu… Continue Reading
November 02, 2021
Chairman Menendez Lauds Senate Approval of Updated RENACER Act to Secure Passage in House of Representatives
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate last night approved his legislation to dramatically increase U.S. diplomatic engagement in response to the government of Daniel Ortega's continued use of repressive tactics to intimidate, inhibit or arrest every aspiring opposition candidate ahead of Nicaragua's scheduled elections on November 7th. Entitled the Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to C… Continue Reading
October 29, 2021
SFRC Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch Urge Biden Admin to Match EU Sanctions Framework to Secure Substantive Economic, Political Reform in Lebanon
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen urging the Biden administration to complement the European Union's announced sanctions framework to push Lebanese leaders to take critical measures to reform and rebuild their country in the wake of the unprecedented financial collapse and ongoing physic… Continue Reading
October 29, 2021
Menendez, Durbin, Kaine Meet with Venezuela Interim President Juan Guaidó
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Chair Tim Kaine (D-Va. ) met virtually with Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaidó to discuss the ongoing political stalemate in Venezuela and the humanitarian crisis that has forced more than five million refugees and migrants to flee their homes under discredited President Nicolás Maduro'… Continue Reading
October 27, 2021
Menéndez y Risch Lideran Proyecto de Ley Bipartidista para Reforzar Esfuerzos para la Admisión de Taiwán como Miembro del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
WASHINGTON - Los Senadores Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores en el Senado, y Jim Risch, Miembro de Más Alto Rango del Comité, hoy fueron acompañados por los Senadores Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) y Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) en presentar un nuevo proyecto de ley autorizando el refuerzo de esfuerzos de los Estados Unidos en apoyo a la admisión de Taiwán al Banco Interamericano de Desarro… Continue Reading
