Chairman's Press
Bipartisan, Bicameral Group of Lawmakers Offers Legislation on U.S.-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Cooperation
WASHINGTON-A bipartisan group of Senators and House Members today announced that they have offered legislation reaffirming strong congressional support for the United States alliances with South Korea and Japan and the critical importance of trilateral cooperation. The resolution was introduced in the Senate by Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Sen. Cory Gardner and Sen. Ed Markey, Chair and Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Subcommitte… Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Menendez Statement on the Passing of Former Prime Minister Jan Olszewski
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the passing of former Prime Minister Jan Olszewski. "It is with sadness that I learned of the passing of former Prime Minister of Poland, Jan Olszewski. He deserves our thanks and respect for his lifelong commitment to a democratic and independent Poland." "Jan Olszewski dedicated his life to public service. He fought for the rights of his fellow citizens thro… Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Menendez, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Block Trump Admin Push to Allow Unfettered Proliferation of Untraceable, 3D Printable Guns, Weaken Controls over Foreign Arms Sales
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined today by Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) in introducing legislation to block the Trump Administration's efforts to weaken controls over foreign arms sales and allow for the unfettered proliferation of untraceable, virtually undetectable, 3D printable guns that threaten public safety. The Trump Administration annou… Continue Reading
February 11, 2019
Menendez Statement on Rep. Omar’s Anti-Semitic Comments
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on Representative Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitic comments. "It is critically important that we continue to unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms here in the United States and across the world. Rep. Omar's comments were anti-Semitic, harmful and woefully uninformed. I join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in rejecting her anti-Semitic tropes and … Continue Reading
February 08, 2019
Menendez Statement on Trump Admin’s Refusal to Comply with Khashoggi Sanctions Determination
NEWARK - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement upon receiving a letter from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regarding the murder of U.S. resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The brief letter is the Trump administration's official response to ranking member Menendez and then-chairman Corker's triggering the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act - a law that gave the President 120 days to determine w… Continue Reading
February 07, 2019
As Deadline for Admin’s Khashoggi Investigation Nears, Menendez, Young, Reed, Graham, Shaheen, Collins, Murphy Introduce Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Bill
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.)-along with Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)-today introduced the Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act of 2019, comprehensive legislation to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the murder of U.S. resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the Saudi-led coalition fo… Continue Reading
February 07, 2019
Menendez on INF Treaty Withdrawal
WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today submitted the following statement for the Senate record regarding President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: "Mr. President, I rise today to express my deep concerns regarding President Trump's suspension of U.S. participation in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and decision to withdraw from the … Continue Reading
February 04, 2019
Menéndez, Durbin y Cruz Presentan Resolución Bipartidista en Apoyo a Principios Democráticos en Bolivia
WASHINGTON - El senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), miembro de más alto rango del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, junto con los senadores Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) y Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) presentaron una resolución bipartidista en apoyo a los principios y estándares democráticos en Bolivia y en toda América Latina. La resolución reconoce las importantes transiciones a la democracia y las transferencias pacíficas de poder a travé… Continue Reading
February 01, 2019
Menendez, Durbin, Cruz Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Democratic Principles in Bolivia
WASHINGTON -Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, was joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) in introducing a bipartisan resolution supporting democratic principles and standards in Bolivia and throughout Latin America. The resolution recognizes the important transitions to democracy and the regular peaceful transfers of power through elections that have taken place in the majority of Latin American countries, and call… Continue Reading
February 01, 2019
***ICMYI*** Menendez Op-Ed: Grant TPS to Venezuelans in the U.S., and Support Those in Their Country Hoping for Democracy’s Return
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today wrote an op-ed in the Miami Herald, urging President Trump to use economic and political tools to support Venezuelans in their struggle against the regime of Nicolás Maduro, and to offer Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Venezuelans taking refuge in the United States. In the column, the Senator warns against a military intervention involving U.S. troops and announces comprehensiv… Continue Reading
February 01, 2019
Menendez Statement on Trump Administration’s Withdrawal from Nuclear Treaty
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced its decision to suspend U.S. participation in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. "The Russian Federation brazenly violated the INF treaty and has been unwilling to take the steps necessary to come back into compliance. Through its actions, the Kremlin bears responsibility for the degradation of the Interm… Continue Reading
January 30, 2019
Menendez on Reports that No US. Officials Were Present for Trump-Putin Discussions at the G-20
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that President Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin during the G-20 summit in November 2018 with no U.S. official or translator. "This new information about the President's unprecedented secrecy around his meetings with Putin is deeply disturbing. Does anyone in the U.S. government know what they discussed? Does anyone ha… Continue Reading
January 29, 2019
Menendez, Inhofe, Senators Urge Taiwan Participation in WHO
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Taiwan Caucus, introduced S. 249 today, legislation calling for the Secretary of State to develop a strategy for Taiwan to regain observer status in the World Health Organization ahead of its annual global assembly later this year. They were joined by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), John Boozman (R… Continue Reading
January 28, 2019
Menendez Statement on New Sanctions Against Maduro Regime
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Treasury Department announced it would block the assets and property of Venezuelan state oil company PdVSA that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction. "I strongly back efforts by the United States to use economic and political pressure to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," said Menendez. "However, given the potential implications of this an… Continue Reading
January 25, 2019
Menendez Writes to Pompeo on Safety of U.S. Diplomats in Venezuela
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, requesting specific details about the State Department's security assessment and contingency plans for American diplomats in Venezuela. The senator's letter comes after senior members of former President Maduro's regime made threatening remarks about the U.S Embassy in Caracas, and media reports suggested that some U.S. personnel had been or… Continue Reading
January 24, 2019
Menendez Blasts Trump Admin’s Refusal to Sanction Russia for Chemical Weapon Attack
WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanding the Trump Administration comply with a U.S. law requiring further sanctions on Russia for its use of chemical weapons in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England. The Senator's letter comes after the State Department officially determined Russia's involvement in the use of chem… Continue Reading
January 23, 2019
Menéndez y Rubio Expresan Su Apoyo al Presidente Provisional de Venezuela
Los senadores Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), miembro de Más Alto Rango del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, y el senador Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Presidente del Subcomité de Relaciones Exteriores para el Hemisferio Occidental, emitieron la siguiente declaración en apoyo a Juan Guaidó como presidente provisional de Venezuela: "En un día histórico como el 23 de enero, que marca el 61º aniversario de la caída de una dictadura mili… Continue Reading
January 23, 2019
Menendez, Rubio Joint Statement in Support of Venezuela’s Interim President
WASHINGTON - Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, issued the following statement in support of Juan Guaidó as the Provisional President of Venezuela. "On a historic day marking 61 years since the overthrow of a military dictatorship, the people of Venezuela are once again taking to the streets to defend their huma… Continue Reading
January 18, 2019
SFRC Dems to Pompeo: What was State Department’s Role in and Knowledge of Trump-Putin Meetings?
WASHINGTON -Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to identify the specific State Department officials, including interpreters, who may have relevant information or records on the five private meetings between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Senators' letter follows a series of news reports that indicate there may be little to no official reco… Continue Reading
January 17, 2019
Menendez Questions State Department & USAID’s Plan to Circumvent Trump Shutdown
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced it would order State Department and USAID employees to return to work by reprogramming allocated funds to pay for their salaries during President Trump's government shutdown. "There is no doubt that President Trump's temper tantrum over his wall and his pointless government shutdown continues to create a real risk for U.S. … Continue Reading