Chairman's Press
Kerry, Lugar, Casey, Brown, Brownback, Leahy Mark The End To Sri Lanka's Civil War
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN), Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs and Senators Brown (D-OH), Brownback (R-KS) and Leahy (D-VT) joined to release the following statement today in response to Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, declaring an end to the decades long civil war: "We welcome the news that … Continue Reading
June 07, 2009
Chairman Kerry Statement On The Lebanese Elections
Washington, D.C.-- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement in response Lebanon's successful parliamentary elections: "Today's parliamentary elections marked a significant step forward for democracy in Lebanon. The people of Lebanon should be commended for rejecting violence and showing their commitment to legitimate political discourse with a spirited campaign and high voter turnout. "If early results hold, the leaders of the… Continue Reading
June 06, 2009
Chairman Kerry Statement On The 65th Anniversary of D-Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement commemorating the 65th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy (D-Day): "Sixty-five years later we remain a country in awe of the heroism of the young men who stormed the beaches of Normandy to fight and die so others could be free. There is no greater example of America's values and commitment than the sacrifice those young men made for their country and the world and… Continue Reading
June 03, 2009
Chairman Kerry Urges Larger US-Pakistan Relief Effort For The Humanitarian Crisis In Pakistan
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement today in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation among Pakistanis displaced by fighting in the Swat Valley: "The humanitarian crisis in Swat gets worse every day, which is why it's so critical that the government of Pakistan and the Obama Administration undertake immediate joint relief operations modeled on our successful efforts following the 2005 Kashmir ear… Continue Reading
May 19, 2009
Kerry Says Strengthened Fuel Standards "Shot Heard Round the World" in Global Climate Battle
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today praised the Obama administration for its plan to establish the first ever nationwide regulation for greenhouse gases. Obama also called for increasing fuel economy standards for new cars and light trucks and pushing up the timeline for implementing those standards. "This will be a shot heard round the world in the battle against climate change and it will reverberate around the globe as w… Continue Reading
May 19, 2009
Chairman Kerry Welcomes Humanitarian Aid Package For Pakistan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), released the following statement today in response to the Administration's decision to provide Pakistan more than $100 million in humanitarian support: "I applaud the Administration's pledge of more than $100 million in humanitarian aid for Pakistanis displaced by the violence in Swat valley. Last week, in a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Pakistan, I strongly urged Special Representative Richar… Continue Reading
May 19, 2009
Chairman Kerry Welcomes Humanitarian Aid Package For Pakistan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), released the following statement today in response to the Administration's decision to provide Pakistan more than $100 million in humanitarian support: "I applaud the Administration's pledge of more than $100 million in humanitarian aid for Pakistanis displaced by the violence in Swat valley. Last week, in a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Pakistan, I strongly urged Special Representative Richar… Continue Reading
May 12, 2009
Chairman Kerry On Poison Attacks Against Girls in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement today in response to news reports of extremists conducting poison attacks on girls schools in Afghanistan: "I am deeply troubled by reports of poison attacks on school girls in Afghanistan, endangering hundreds of students and teachers. Today's attack on girls in a school in Kapisa province follows two recent attacks on school girls in the nearby town of Charikar in Parvan … Continue Reading
May 05, 2009
Chairman Kerry Statement On The Situation In Georgia
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement on the attempted munity in Georgia: "It is our understanding that the mutineers have been apprehended and the situation is now calm. Georgia is an independent, democratic republic and any attempt to change the government of that country through non-democratic means is unacceptable. The Georgian people are committed to live in a sovereign, democratic nation and the… Continue Reading
May 01, 2009
Kerry, Lugar, Casey Mark World Press Freedom Day
WASHINGTON, DC -- In advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), Ranking Member Senator Dick Lugar (R-IL) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, joined to release the following statement: "World Press Freedom Day, Sunday May 3, is an important reminder that a free press promotes an open marketplace of ideas and provides publ… Continue Reading
April 22, 2009
Chairman Kerry Applauds Confirmation Of Christopher Hill As U.S. Ambassador To Iraq
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) made the following statement today after a vote by the Senate to confirm President Obama's nominee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Christopher R. Hill of Rhode Island: "It took much longer than it should have, but I am pleased that Chris Hill has finally been confirmed as President Obama's Ambassador to Iraq. He is one of the best diplomats we have in our country. Despite the significant security impr… Continue Reading
April 17, 2009
Kerry Statement on Global Warming "Endangerment Finding"
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s announcement that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare: "Today's announcement must serve as wake up call to anyone still left in Congress who doubts the urgent need to address global climate change. The science is screaming at us, and it's time for Congress to act. I applaud the EPA for c… Continue Reading
April 17, 2009
Chairman Kerry Announces Agreement by Sudanese Leaders to Tripartite Talks on the Implementation of the Vital North-South Peace Agreement
KHARTOUM, SUDAN- Last evening, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry issued the following statement after meetings yesterday in Sudan: "After a series of discussions with Sudanese leaders from both the North and South of Sudan, I can announce that leaders from the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) have made commitments to enter into tripartite talks with President Obama's Special Envoy for Sudan, General Gration, to reengage in… Continue Reading
April 16, 2009
Chairman Kerry To Seek Ratification Of Arms Trafficking Treaty
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) issued the following statement in response to President Obama call for the ratification of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Explosives, and Other Related Materials Treaty. It is commonly known by its Spanish acronym CIFTA: "I welcome President Obama's support for CIFTA. It sends an important message of our country's commitment to help address the … Continue Reading
April 13, 2009
Chairman Kerry Applauds President Obama's Changes To Cuba Policy
Washington, D.C.--- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement in response to President Obama's easing of Cuba restrictions for Cuban Americans families: "President Obama has made the right call to remove restrictions that have only set back the cause of a democratic Cuba by preventing Cuban Americans from visiting their family members and providing financial support to families remaining on the island. These changes are both compassi… Continue Reading
April 10, 2009
Kerry on Pirate Attack on U.S. Flagged Ship off Coast of Somalia
BOSTON - Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement in response to a pirate attack on a U.S. flagged ship off the coast of Somalia. "These acts of piracy off of Somalia's coastline may seem surreal, but they're all too real and a thorough policy debate is long overdue. When Americans, including at least one from Massachusetts, are endangered, you've got a complicated and dangerous international situation brewing, an… Continue Reading
April 05, 2009
Chairman Kerry Calls For Unified And Stern Response To North Korea's Missile Test
Washington, D.C.-- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement in response to North Korea's Missile Test: "North Korea's launch of a Taepo Dong missile is a provocative act that calls for a stern, unified response from the members of the Six Party Talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The United States should immediately call on the international community to strictly enforce UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and … Continue Reading
April 05, 2009
Chairman Kerry Applauds President Obama's Nuclear Nonproliferation Stance in Prague
Washington, D.C.---Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement in response to President Obama's speech in Prague: "The President is absolutely correct that our long-term goal must be a world free from nuclear weapons, and I look forward to working closely with him and his Administration on the ambitious but practical agenda he has set out today. In particular, I applaud the President's proposal to host a Global Summit on Nuclear Secu… Continue Reading
April 03, 2009
Senate Passes Budget Resolution That Includes Four Billion Dollars Restored To The International Affairs Budget By Chairman Kerry
Washington, D.C. - This evening, the Senate passed President Obama's FY2010 budget resolution, including $4 billion restored to President's international affairs budget by the April 1 passage of the Kerry-Lugar amendment. The $4 billion will make it possible for the Administration to pursue critical foreign policy and national security objectives including: increasing foreign aid to vital programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan; rebuilding the diplomatic and development capacity of the Depa… Continue Reading
April 02, 2009
Chairman Kerry Statement on G-20 Summit Agreement
Washington, D.C. - Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) released the following statement in response to the communiqu? by G-20 leaders on their plan to deal with the global economic crisis: "The willingness of G-20 leaders to bridge their differences and demonstrate unity of purpose in tackling the global economic crisis will go a long way to restore confidence in the governments, markets and institutions that have been most affected. The sweeping reforms to tackle banki… Continue Reading
