Chairman's Press
Menendez Calls on Trump Administration’s to Clarify U.S. Policy on Syria and Russia’s Role
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 calling on the Trump Administration to clarify its policy with regard to Russia's involvement in Syria. The Senator also expressed the urgent need for a clear strategy to preempt the humanitarian crisis caused by the forces of Assad and Putin during their anticipated offensive in the province of Idlib. Below are the Senator's r… Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Menendez Statement on Election Interference Executive Order
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump's signing of an Executive Order authorizing the imposition of additional sanctions against foreigners who attempt to interfere in U.S. elections. "I look forward to reviewing the contents of the administration's executive order," said Senator Menendez. "It is outrageous that it has taken 21 months for President Trump to begin to res… Continue Reading
August 24, 2018
Menendez, Shaheen Formally Request Relevant Documents and Interpreter Notes for Trump-Putin Summit
WASHINGTON - Over a month after President Trump's meeting and press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, where he accepted Putin's election meddling denial over American intelligence agencies, top Senate Democrats today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally requesting all relevant documents to clarify if and what commitments the President made during the secretive and lengthy meeting. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Commit… Continue Reading
August 23, 2018
Menendez Marks One Year Anniversary of Burma’s Ethnic Cleansing Campaign Against Rohingya
WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today submitted the below statement for the Senate record marking the one-year anniversary of the campaign of the Burmese military's campaign of violence and terror on Rohingya civilians. "Last August, the world watched in horror as Burma's military launched an ethnic cleansing campaign of rape, arson and mass murder against the Rohingya. Despite the Burmese military's claims that thei… Continue Reading
August 22, 2018
Menendez Leads SFRC Democrats in Advising Sec. Pompeo Against Lowering Refugee Cap
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in urging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to decimate the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and undermine a critical U.S. foreign policy tool. In advance of a Presidential Determination that could reduce the already historically low level of refugee admissions, the Senators sent a letter urging the Secretary to support poli… Continue Reading
August 22, 2018
Menendez Statement on El Salvador Severing Ties with Taiwan
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the government of El Salvador decided to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish formal relations with China. "I am deeply concerned by the decision of the Salvadoran government -under intense pressure from Beijing-to sever ties with Taiwan. El Salvador's decision continues a troubling trend in the region, as the Salvadorans are now the third countr… Continue Reading
August 17, 2018
Menendez on Trump Administration’s Decision to End Syria Stabilization Assistance
NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced on Friday it is ending $230 million in foreign assistance funds appropriated by Congress for stabilization projects in Syria. "I am dismayed to see President Trump sprinting down the path of abdicating American leadership on the global stage. By ending U.S. contributions to stabilization efforts in the most vulnerable Syr… Continue Reading
August 16, 2018
Menendez Opening Remarks at Nomination Hearing for Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, delivered the following opening remarks at today's hearing on the nomination of Ambassador David Hale to the position of Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs. "Thank you Mr. Chairman, and let me join you in once again welcoming Ambassador Hale before the Committee. Few diplomats have served our nation as ably and honorably as Ambassador Hale in some of our most critical dip… Continue Reading
August 15, 2018
Menendez on Pres. Trump’s Decision to Ignore Congressional Directive on Non-recognition of Russia’s Illegal Annexation of Crimea
NEWARK - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published the below reaction to President Trump's dismissal of Congressional limitations in the FY19 Defense Authorization bill on recognizing Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea. "This signing statement is troubling because, yet again, the President is showing the world he cannot be trusted when it comes to standing by U.S. commitments and promoting our interests over his own. Congress agre… Continue Reading
August 02, 2018
Senator Menendez Calls for Calm in Zimbabwe
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today called for calm in Zimbabwe as news emerged of a crackdown on opposition supporters. Three protesters are reported to have been killed. "The reports of the military opening fire killing three protesters is gravely disturbing. My condolences go out to the families of those slain. I urge all parties on the ground to refrain from violence. The government must call a halt to the exce… Continue Reading
August 02, 2018
Menendez, Engel Lead Over 100 Members of Congress in Demanding TPS Be Reinstated for El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today led a bipartisan group of 110 members of Congress in calling on the Trump Administration to reinstate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of immigrants legally living in the United States. The letter comes after the State Department released a series of internal documents… Continue Reading
August 02, 2018
Menendez Applauds Senate Passage of U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate unanimously approved the U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act, bipartisan legislation he co-sponsored which codifies the Memorandum of Understanding signed in September 2016 to provide Israel with the largest U.S. security assistance package in history. "The unanimous passage of this legislation should make one thing clear: the r… Continue Reading
August 02, 2018
MENENDEZ, GRAHAM, GARDNER, CARDIN, MCCAIN, SHAHEEN INTRODUCE HARD-HITTING RUSSIA SANCTIONS PACKAGE
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act of 2018, comprehensive legislation that will increase economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation in response to Russia's continued interference in our elections, malign influence in Syria, aggression in Crimea, and other activities. "The … Continue Reading
July 27, 2018
Menendez Statement on the General Election in Pakistan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the general elections in Pakistan: "I congratulate the Pakistani people who bravely went to the ballot box this week in anticipation of the country's second-ever transfer of power between civilian governments. They did so in the face of despicable terrorist violence around the polls, including an attack claimed by the Islamic State in Quetta that killed at … Continue Reading
July 27, 2018
Menendez Calls on BBG to Clarify Domestic Ads on Facebook
WASHINGTON - Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to John Lansing, CEO of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent agency of the United States government to ensure its international media services and surrogate channels abide by laws meant to protect Americans from domestic propaganda. The Senator's letter comes after a New York Times article on research conducted at Syracuse University found that Radio Fre… Continue Reading
July 26, 2018
Menendez, Corker Applaud Committee Passage of Bill Demanding Turkey End Unjust Detention of US Citizens
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of their bipartisan legislation demanding Turkey end the unjust detention of U.S. citizens in Turkey, including Pastor Andrew Brunson. The bill, introduced last week along with Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), would restrict loans from internati… Continue Reading
July 25, 2018
Menendez on State Dept. Release of Internal Documents Related to TPS for El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today renewed his criticism of the Trump Administration's overtly political decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti. The Senator's statement comes after the State Department released a series of internal documents as part of a lawsuit challenging the process that led to the termination of TPS protections for hundreds of tho… Continue Reading
July 25, 2018
Menendez Calls on Secretary Pompeo to Stop Online Posting of Do-it-Yourself, 3-D Printable Gun Blueprints
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today called on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to immediately intervene and review the surprising and sudden decision by his department to allow online public posting of 3-D printable gun blueprints in the next few days. "It is hard to see how making it easier for criminal and terrorist organizations to obtain untraceable weapons is in the foreign policy and national security interests of t… Continue Reading
July 24, 2018
Menendez, Graham Outline Bipartisan Russia Sanctions Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced they are working on comprehensive legislation that will enhance sanctions pressure on Russia while bolstering the capacity of the United States government to respond. "We are fully committed to ensuring Congress maintains an active role in both confronting Russian aggression and ensuring that the Executive Branch takes the necessary steps to pr… Continue Reading
July 23, 2018
Menendez Calls on Sec. Pompeo to Reinstate State Department’s Daily Press Briefings
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on him to immediately increase the frequency of the Department's Daily Press Briefings (DPB), which have averaged less than one briefing per week since his confirmation as Secretary three months ago. "At a time of unprecedented, head-spinning developments for U.S. foreign policy, our relationship with our allies, and our role on … Continue Reading
