Chairman's Press
Menendez, Risch Urge POTUS to Address Global Food Insecurity In Wake of Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are calling on the Biden administration to establish an interagency and international strategy for the U.S. to help mitigate the looming food security crisis spurred by Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Citing ongoing concern for countries already facing extreme food insecurity, the senators pressed the Administration to expand the reach of internat… Continue Reading
April 01, 2022
Menendez, Rubio Urge Biden Administration to Extend TPS for Venezuela
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting DHS renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible Venezuelans. TPS provides temporary legal status and work authorization for foreign nationals who cannot return to their country of origin, and … Continue Reading
March 31, 2022
Menendez, Risch, Meeks, McCaul Statement on President Saied’s Tactics to Dissolve Tunisia’s Parliamentary Body
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were joined by Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in condemning Tunisian President Saied's attempt to dissolve the Assembly of Representatives, Tunisia's parliamentary body, which serves as the latest in a series of concerning moves that threaten Tunisi… Continue Reading
March 31, 2022
Chairman Menendez Remarks at Committee Hearing: China's Role in Latin America and the Caribbean
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following remarks at this morning's Committee hearing entitled "China's Role in Latin America and the Caribbean." Testifying before the Committee on the first panel were Ms. Kerri Hannan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Policy, Planning, and Coordination for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Peter Natiello, Senior Deputy A… Continue Reading
March 31, 2022
Menendez, Risch, Colleagues Ask Biden Administration to Work with OAS Members to Revoke Russia’s Observer Status
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting he work with member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) to revoke Russia's status as a permanent observer. "In … Continue Reading
March 29, 2022
Chairman Menendez on President Biden’s FY23 Budget Request
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the national security provisions of President Joe Biden's 2023 federal budget request released on Monday: "After years of neglect under the previous administration, I'm pleased to see President Biden propose a serious investment across all elements of our national security toolkit, including an increase of more than ten percent over last year's enacted leve… Continue Reading
March 29, 2022
SFRC Approves Ethiopia Peace and Stabilization Act of 2022 with Overwhelming Bipartisan Support
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by SFRC Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chris Coons (D-Del.) in releasing the below statements following the Committee's bipartisan approval of S. 3199, the Ethiopia Peace and Stabilization Act of 2022, at this morning's business meeting. Introduced in November 2021, the bipartisan legislation builds upon t… Continue Reading
March 29, 2022
Menendez, Risch, Colleagues Request Removal of Russia from UNHRC Due to War Crimes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) yesterday sent a letter to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield requesting she introduce a resolution at the Uni… Continue Reading
March 28, 2022
Menendez Calls on the IAEA to Ensure Oversight of Ukrainian Nuclear Facilities Under Russian Occupation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to work to secure Ukraine's nuclear power plants and assets as the Russian military destroys and occupies areas in and around Ukrainian nuclear facilities. In a letter to Director General Grossi, Chairman Menendez underscored the growing danger of Russian military recklessness near Ukrainian nuclear power plants and raised concerns about… Continue Reading
March 24, 2022
Chairs of the United States’ and Spain’s Foreign Relations Committees Raise Concerns about Spanish-Language Disinformation and Misinformation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, were joined by their Spanish counterparts Pau Marí-Klose, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Affairs Committee, and Antonio Gutiérrez Limones, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, in releasing the below statement to voice their concerns regarding Spanish-language disinformation and mi… Continue Reading
March 23, 2022
SFRC Chairman Menendez Calls for Expedited Resettlement, Creation of Robust Humanitarian Parole Program to Support Ukrainian Refugees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Biden administration to accelerate plans for the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees to the United States and to expeditiously create a robust humanitarian parole program for all eligible Ukrainians fleeing Putin's illegal and unprovoked attacks. In addition to sending a strong… Continue Reading
March 23, 2022
SFRC Chairman Menendez Statement on the Passing of Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the below statement following the passing of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: "I am heartbroken to learn that former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has passed away. As a brilliant mind, revered diplomat, and dear friend, Madeleine was a trailblazer as the first woman to be Secretary of State and devoted public servant. "She was a champion of democracy and huma… Continue Reading
March 23, 2022
Menéndez, Risch, Kaine y Rubio Aplauden Aprobación de Proyecto de Ley por parte del Comité para Reforzar la Relación Entre Estados Unidos y Ecuador
WASHINGTON - El Senador Bob Menéndez (D-N.J.), Presidente del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores, hoy fue acompañado por el Senador Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Miembro de Más Alto Rango del Comité, y los Senadores Tim Kaine (D-Va.) y Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Presidente y Miembro de Más Alto Rango del Subcomité del Hemisferio Occidental, en aplaudir la aprobación del proyecto de ley de la Asociación entre Estados Unidos y Ecuador de 2022 por parte… Continue Reading
March 23, 2022
SFRC Approves Menendez-Barrasso Resolution Honoring Anniversary of Greek Independence
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) in issuing the below statements in reaction to the Committee's approval of their bipartisan resolution recognizing the 201st anniversary of Greek Independence Day. In addition to celebrating the United States and Greece's enduring commitment to democracy, the resolution honors the history of close partnership and unshakable bonds of friendship that the… Continue Reading
March 23, 2022
Menendez, Risch, Kaine, Rubio Celebrate Committee Approval of U.S.-Ecuador Partnership Act
WASHINGTON - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was joined today by Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, in applauding the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage of their United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022. The bipartisan proposal, which now moves on to the Senate Floor for a final vote, is the first legislativ… Continue Reading
March 21, 2022
Menendez, Risch Statement on U.S. Genocide Designation for Burma
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 released the following statement after the Biden administration formally declared the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim population: "Today, the Biden administration confirmed what has been clear for many years: the Burmese military's campaign of systematic attacks, killing, and rape agains… Continue Reading
March 21, 2022
Menendez Calls for Greater U.S. Support for Transition to Civilian Rule and Democracy in Chad
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is calling on the Biden Administration to recalibrate U.S.-Chad policy to better balance the African nation's defense needs with that of diplomacy and development, including a greater role in supporting Chad's transition to civilian rule. In a new letter to Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs Molly Phee, Chairman Menendez specifically called for the Administration to pu… Continue Reading
March 17, 2022
Menendez Presses Biden Administration on Genocide Determination for Conflict in Ethiopia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today called on President Joe Biden to assess whether parties to the conflict in Ethiopia are guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide. Citing evidence and reports of extra-judicial killings, massacres, sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement and continued efforts to block humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, Chairman Menendez reinforced the need for the Depar… Continue Reading
March 17, 2022
Chairman Menendez Statement on St. Patrick’s Day
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in observance of St. Patrick's Day: "This week, many across the United States and Ireland are celebrating St. Patrick's Day, during which we honor the rich Irish heritage that both sides of the Atlantic deeply cherish. As we acknowledge the important cultural contributions of those across the island of Ireland, we also reflect on how the Good Friday Agreement large… Continue Reading
March 16, 2022
Hours after Zelenskyy Address to Congress, Senate Republicans Block Confirmation of Officials Tasked with Leading U.S. Efforts to Support Ukraine
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate Floor to make a series of motions for the Senate to immediately confirm nominees to positions critical to the United States' efforts to assist and support Ukraine in the face of Putin's illegal and unprovoked war. Republican Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) blocked Chairman Menendez's efforts for the Senate to confirm Jim O'Brien to be Coordinator for Sanctions; Julieta Valls… Continue Reading
