Ranking Member's Press
Risch, Durbin Applaud Senate Passage of Resolution Encouraging Biden Administration to Follow Through on U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) today applauded Senate passage of their resolution expressing support for a second U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit as an important opportunity to strengthen ties between the United States and African partners and build on areas of mutual interest. "We are nearly halfway through the year and have yet to get a final date for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summ… Continue Reading
May 26, 2022
Risch Introduces Legislation to Enhance Security at U.S. Diplomatic Facilities
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 2022, legislation to enhance security at U.S. diplomatic facilities. "As the world becomes more dangerous and complicated, we need the State Department to prioritize diplomacy and effectively spend taxpayer money to defend U.S. national interests. It's time the Department rebalances its risk calculus and gets our di… Continue Reading
May 26, 2022
Risch, Merkley, Young, Booker, Thune, Menendez Announce Bipartisan Senate Resolution Condemning Starvation as an Act of War
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (R-Ore.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in introducing a bipartisan Senate resolution condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war, as well as recognizing the effect of conflicts on global food security and famine.“Every human being needs food to survive. Yet, in too many places, like Yemen, Syria… Continue Reading
May 25, 2022
Ranking Member Risch Opening Statement at Hearing on the JCPOA Negotiations and Iran Policy
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 JCPOA negotiations and U.S. policy on Iran moving forward. The committee heard witness testimony from Mr. Robert Malley, special envoy for Iran at State, Mr. Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Mr. Mark Dubowitz, chief executive officer of The Foundation for Defense of De… Continue Reading
May 24, 2022
Risch Joins Shaheen, Tillis, 79 Senators in Requesting Biden Admin Swiftly Advance NATO Applications for Sweden & Finland
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation and co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Senate NATO Observer Group co-chair, and a bipartisan group of 79 senators in a letter to President Biden urging him to expedite the executive branch’s process to advance Swe… Continue Reading
May 23, 2022
Risch: UN Human Rights Chief’s Visit to China Could Serve as Propaganda
WASHINTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s visit to China this week:“I am concerned that High Commissioner Bachelet’s visit to China this week will be used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as propaganda to promote a false narrative about its human rights record. Bachelet should ensure she meets with actual members of civil society du… Continue Reading
May 23, 2022
Risch Joins Lee, Colleagues in Letter Questioning WHO Abortion Guidelines
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last week joined Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), and 52 other Senate and House colleagues in sending a letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), urging a reversal on the organization’s recent guidelines on abortion. These guidelines advocate for abortion on demand and critique conscious objecti… Continue Reading
May 23, 2022
Risch, Menendez, Schumer, McConnell, Colleagues Introduce Resolution in Support of Finland, Sweden Joining NATO
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) last Thursday introduced a resolution in support of Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO.“Last week, I was honored to meet President Niinistö of Finland and Prime Minister Ande… Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Risch, Cantwell Encourage POTUS to Pursue Stronger Indo-Pacific Strategy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, today sent a letter to President Biden requesting he pursue a more robust economic and trade agenda in the Indo-Pacific ahead of his visit to Asia.“We write to urge you to pursue a more robust economic and trade agenda in the Indo-Pacific,” the senators wrote. “As you head to the region, your … Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Risch, Menendez, Shaheen, Johnson Introduce Senate Resolution Commending Moldova’s Leadership in Supporting Ukrainian Refugees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today were joined by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) in introducing a Senate resolution commending Moldova for its extraordinary efforts in supporting Ukrainian refugees fleeing Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine and expressing support for Moldova’s sovereignty and ongoing reforms. In addition to encouraging Moldova’s continua… Continue Reading
May 18, 2022
Risch Applauds Committee Passage of Resolutions on U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, Kara-Murza, ANZUS Anniversary
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of three resolutions:On the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit resolution:“The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit is an opportunity for America to connect Africa’s leaders with the best of what American business, academia, civil society, and African diaspora living in the United States can offer,” said Risch. “I introduced this resolution to send a bipartisan message of supp… Continue Reading
May 18, 2022
Risch, Menendez Lead 50 Colleagues in Letter to POTUS Championing Taiwan’s Inclusion in Proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today were joined by 50 of their Senate colleagues in penning a letter to President Joe Biden to urge the administration’s inclusion of Taiwan as a partner in the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). In addition to recognizing Taiwan’s importance to the United States as an important trading partner, the senators underscored that failing to i… Continue Reading
May 18, 2022
Risch Welcomes Finland, Sweden Applications to Join NATO
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding Finland's and Sweden's official letters of application to join NATO: "I have for several weeks now been strongly urging Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership, and I welcome and wholeheartedly support their decision to do so. Our Nordic neighbors have long-proven the value they will bring to the alliance through their professional mil… Continue Reading
May 17, 2022
Risch: Biden Admin’s Venezuela Policy is Incoherent
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 proposed changes to its Venezuela policy:“The Biden Administration is conceding to the Maduro regime by easing sanctions without any concrete progress towards democratic order. This move will strengthen the Maduro regime and its criminal network, exacerbate the already horrific humanitarian crisis, and allow malign actors li… Continue Reading
May 17, 2022
Risch Menendez, Meeks, McCaul Introduce Bicameral Resolution Celebrating Enduring U.S.-Greece Partnership, Welcoming Prime Minister Mitsotakis to the U.S.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman 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 introducing a concurrent resolution welcoming His Excellency Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, to the United States for an address to a joint meeting of Congress. “It was an honor to have… Continue Reading
May 16, 2022
Risch, Rubio, Colleagues Slam Biden Admin’s Appeasement to Cuban Dictatorship
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), along with U.S. Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), and Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), in a joint statement on the Biden Administration's recent announcement providing concessions to… Continue Reading
May 16, 2022
Risch Joins Rubio, Coons, Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Resolution Celebrating 200 Years of U.S.-Colombia Relations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) last week in introducing a bipartisan resolution celebrating the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Colombia. Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are also original cosponsors. Congressmen Albio Sires (D-N.J.) and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) introduced the House versio… Continue Reading
May 12, 2022
Risch, Menendez Applaud Senate Passage of Allies and Partners Resolution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, applauded yesterday's Senate passage of their resolution reaffirming the importance of U.S. alliances and the unique strategic advantage they provide to the United States. "The United States and our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and Europe face a challenging security environment, and it is imperative we continue to sustain and strengthen conc… Continue Reading
May 12, 2022
Risch, Menendez Applaud Senate Passage of Resolution Condemning October 2021 Military Coup in Sudan
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the below statements following the Senate passage of their concurrent resolution condemning the October 25, 2021 military coup in Sudan:"This sends a clear message from Congress that the U.S. should not accept the continued rule of Sudan's despotic military rulers, who once again have stolen power from its citizens," said Ranking Member Ris… Continue Reading
May 12, 2022
Senators Risch, Markey, Romney, Menendez Applaud Senate Passage of Resolution Commemorating 1991 Cambodia Paris Peace Agreements
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the East Asia Subcommittee, Mitt Romney (R-Utah), ranking member of the East Asia Subcommittee, and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed Senate passage of their resolution commemorating the landmark Cambodia Paris Peace Agreements. The Agreements, which were signed by 19 countries on October 23, 1991, laid… Continue Reading
