Chairman's Press
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Releases Volumes Of Previously Classified Transcripts From Vietnam Era Hearings
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Chairman John Kerry and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are releasing more than 1,000 pages of previously classified testimony and transcripts from closed hearings in 1967 and 1968, a tumultuous period in U.S. history that echoes many of the issues confronting the country today. In authorizing release of the declassified material, Senator Kerry said: "These transcripts and testimony were selected because they shed light on an important period of American history and al… Continue Reading
July 12, 2010
Chairman Kerry: Haiti Six Months Later
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On the sixth month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement: "As we pause today to remember the lives lost and communities devastated as a result of the terrible earthquake in Haiti, we must also assess what we have done for the recovery process and how we can do better. Frankly, the results are mixed. Although the initial rescue effort was commendable for its quick response, the recon… Continue Reading
July 07, 2010
National Security Experts Disagree With Mitt Romney Ratification Of The New START Treaty Will Strengthen America’s Security
Washington, D.C.--- By opposing ratification of the New START Treaty in an op-ed in yesterday's Washington Post, Mitt Romney puts himself at odds with the vast majority of Republican and Democrat foreign policy and national security experts who have stated unequivocally that the New START Treaty will enhance America's security. Mitt Romney must know something about nuclear nonproliferation and arms control that START supporters Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of … Continue Reading
July 07, 2010
Kerry: New-START will improve our nation's security
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) authored the following op-ed in today's Washington Post titled "How New-START will improve our nation's security." The full text of the op-ed is below: How New-START will improve our nation's security By John Kerry July 7, 2010 Even in these polarized times, anyone seeking the presidency should know that the security of the United States is too important to be treated as fodder for political posturing. Sadly, f… Continue Reading
July 01, 2010
Kerry and Lugar: GAO Study on Workforce Gaps at USAID Reaffirms Urgent Need to Reform Agency
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) report emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategic planning to meet workforce needs at USAID, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN), who authored the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009 to help address USAID's gaps in capacity, today issued the following statements: "The strength of USAID lies with its people, officers who … Continue Reading
July 01, 2010
Kerry and Lugar: GAO Study on Workforce Gaps at USAID Reaffirms Urgent Need to Reform Agency
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) report emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategic planning to meet workforce needs at USAID, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN), who authored the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009 to help address USAID's gaps in capacity, today issued the following statements: "The strength of USAID lies with its people, officers who … Continue Reading
June 25, 2010
Chairman Kerry Responds To Bipartisan Group Of Senators Calling For Hearings On Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) sent the following letter in response to Senator Corker's (R-TN) letter on the Committee holding hearings on the U.S. mission in Afghanistan prior to the July Fourth congressional recess: June 25, 2010 The Honorable Bob Corker US Senate 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Dear Senator Corker, I appreciate your letter regarding the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and your request for hearings on … Continue Reading
June 25, 2010
U.S. Senate Passes Kerry-Lugar Resolution On Kyrgyzstan
U.S. Senate Passes Kerry-Lugar Resolution On Kyrgyzstan WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the crisis in southern Kyrgyzstan, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) today issued the following statements announcing the Senate's unanimous passage of a resolution calling for all parties to refrain from violence and attend to the civilians who have been displaced or injured. "We are saddened by the tragic loss of life in Kyrgyzstan and the… Continue Reading
June 24, 2010
Chairman Kerry On Passage Of Iran Sanctions Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement today after passage of H.R. 2194, Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act: "Today, Congress takes an important and forceful step to address one of the most serious national security challenges to America and our allies. A nuclear armed Iran would pose an intolerable threat to our ally Israel, risk igniting an arms race in what is already one of the wor… Continue Reading
June 24, 2010
Kerry Lauds Bipartisan Group Of Former Cabinet Members And Senators Who Support The New START Treaty
Washington, D.C. - As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee convenes its ninth and tenth hearings today on the New START Treaty, Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) lauded a statement released by thirty former high-ranking national security leaders in support of the treaty. This statement, issued by the Partnership for a Secure America, includes a bipartisan group of ten former senators, four secretaries of state, four secretaries of defense, and three national security advisors, as well as the chair an… Continue Reading
June 22, 2010
Statement on J.S. Tissainayagam’s pardon by Senators Kerry, Lugar and Casey
Washington, D.C.--Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, Ranking Member Dick Lugar and Subcommittee Chairman on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., today welcomed Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's decision to pardon journalist J.S. Tissainayagam, who had been convicted last year and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. Mr. Tissainayagam, a respected Sri Lankan Tamil journalist, was convicted under the country's anti-terrorism … Continue Reading
June 10, 2010
Kerry, Lugar Announce Second Series Of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearings On The New START Treaty
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) today released a schedule for the second round of hearings on the New START Treaty. The Committee has held five hearings thus far with current and former administration officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, former Secretaries of State James Baker and Henry Kissinge… Continue Reading
June 09, 2010
Chairman Kerry Congratulates Philippines President-Elect Aquino On His Election
Washington, D.C.---Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement today congratulating Benigno Aquino II as the next president of the Republic of the Philippines: "I congratulate President Aquino on his election as the next president of the Republic of the Philippines. My colleagues and I look forward to working closely with the new government to advance our common interests. We hope to welcome President-elect Aquino to the United States as soon… Continue Reading
June 09, 2010
Chairman Kerry Applauds United Nations Security Council Resolution Imposing Sanctions Against Iran
WASHINGTON, DC - Following passage of United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran this morning, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement hailing the resolution: "I applaud today's United Nations Security Council vote to significantly expand both the scale and scope of Iran sanctions. These measures give the Obama Administration and the international community important new political and economic tools to moderate Iran's behavior and… Continue Reading
May 27, 2010
Chairman Kerry On President Obama’s National Security Strategy
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today released the following statement applauding President Obama's National Security Strategy, which he said breaks decisively with the Bush-era approach to the world. Instead of casting U.S. foreign policy through the prism of conflict, the new strategy emphasizes the cooperation we need to meet the most pressing threats to our security. "President Obama's National Security Strategy restores a reality-based appro… Continue Reading
May 25, 2010
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves Kerry-Corker Legislation To Support The Rebuilding Of Haiti
Washington, D.C.---Under the leadership of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), ranking Republican on the subcommittee on international development and foreign assistance, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today approved bipartisan legislation that would support the rebuilding of Haiti following the devastation of the January 12, 2010, earthquake. The Kerry-Corker Haiti Empowerment, Assistance and Rebuilding (HEAR) Act of 2010 authori… Continue Reading
May 25, 2010
Dr. Henry Kissinger Testifies Before Senate Foreign Relations Committee Urging For Ratification Of The New START Treaty
Washington, DC - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today held a hearing with Dr. Henry Kissinger on the role of modern-day strategic arms control and the New START Treaty. Dr. Kissinger has played a vital role in American arms control efforts and continues to shape public discourse on nuclear strategy. He successfully negotiated SALT I, the first agreement between the U.S. and Soviet Union to limit nuclear weapons. During the hearing, Dr. Kissinger called on the Se… Continue Reading
May 13, 2010
Statement By Chairman Kerry Following The Bilateral Luncheon With President Karzai Of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, DC -Following today's luncheon with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry released the following statement: "I am pleased to welcome President Karzai and his ministers to Congress and to Washington. President Karzai has brought much of his Cabinet with him, including both veteran ministers and solid, newly-installed technocrats. In October, I had the opportunity to meet with President Karzai over five days in Kabul, and that … Continue Reading
May 10, 2010
Kerry, Lugar Urge Administration To Move Forward On The U.S.-Korean Trade Agreement
Washington, D.C.---Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) today sent a letter to the Administration calling for the timely resolution of outstanding issues related to theU.S.-South Korean trade agreement. Senators Kerry and Lugar argue that it is in the best economic and strategic interest of the United States to strengthen ties with its allies. "The United States should work with South Korea to resolve legitimate concerns and quickl… Continue Reading
May 06, 2010
Chairman Kerry Opening Statement At Hearing On Marjah
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) today delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on Marjah: Full text as prepared is below: Thank you all for coming today. This morning's discussion is the latest in a series of hearings this committee has held on Afghanistan. Last year, as the administration weighed a series of difficult choices, we sought to explore the options in depth. Today, we hope to hear how those decisions are playing out on t… Continue Reading
