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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee hearing on U.S. national security interests in Ukraine. Witnesses included The Honorable James O’Brien, assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs at the Department...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after the United States and NATO announced that NATO member countries, including the United States, would “suspend the operation” of the Conventional Forces in Europe...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) today introduced the End Iranian Terror (End IT) Act, legislation that requires the creation of a strategy to counter China’s evasion of sanctions imposed by the United States with respect to Iran. “Since 2021, the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement marking one month since Hamas’ brutal attacks on Israel: “Today marks one month since Hamas’ genocidal attack on innocent Israelis. Terrorists went door to door slaughtering men, women, and children with no...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and Ted Cruz (T-Texas) last week introduced the Countering Espionage and Surveillance Entities in Cuba (CEASE) Act, legislation to impose sanctions on any foreign person...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, today released the following statement on recent violent attacks on opposition party members in Honduras:  “We strongly...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Zimbabwe government’s severe repression of the opposition: “It is clear the Mnangagwa regime is entrenched. The United States must abandon any misguided belief that it can negotiate with Zimbabwe's...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. trade Representative Katherine Tai reiterating concerns regarding the Biden Administration’s decision to hold the African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum in South Africa...

WASHINGTON?– U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed...

WASHINGTON?– U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, yesterday sent a letter to President Biden urging support for the Philippines...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after U.S. strikes against Iran-linked sites in eastern Syria: “The United States took a step forward last night to restore deterrence – something that has been sorely lacking. The horrific Hamas attacks...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday welcomed Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to the U.S. capitol. “It was a pleasure to welcome President Peña to the U.S. Capitol yesterday. The United States and Paraguay have a longstanding relationship and shared commitment to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Black Thursday massacre in Chad where more than 125 pro-democracy protesters were killed by Chadian forces. “Today, we stand...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Dodaro requesting a review of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Special Procedures. This is of particular relevance as the UN has a special rapporteur on the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) this week sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging for the immediate appointment of a U.S. presidential special envoy to Sudan within the Department of State. “Sudan's...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this week joined U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), co-chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, and 46 other colleagues in urging President Biden to put his full attention on the freeing of American hostages that were taken...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this week cosponsored legislation to block Iran from accessing the $6 billion in funds that the Biden Administration released in August. “Iran is Hamas’ number one supporter and the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. Between lax...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports after the Maduro regime made a deal with Venezuelan political groups to hold sham elections: “Lifting sanctions on the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led a group of Senate Republicans in a press conference in support of Israel. On Congress’ unwavering support for Israel: “We’re going to aid Israel. We’re all in with Israel. You heard what was said in this room about what these...