Ranking Member's Press
Lugar announces $32 Million Grant to Purdue to Train Afghan Farmers
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced today that Purdue University has received a grant of $31,991,056 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist in the rebuilding of Afghanistan by training the faculties at five Afghan agricultural universities. "Rebuilding Afghanistan's agricultural economy remains one of the highest priorities for United States interests," Lugar explained. "Purdue agricultural expert… Continue Reading
March 31, 2011
Lugar Calls on President Obama to Define End Game and Costs in Libyan War
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will deliver the following statement at today's hearing on the Obama Administration's war in Libya: I thank the Chairman for holding this important hearing and join him in welcoming Deputy Secretary Steinberg. Over Libya, we have once again witnessed the skill and courage of the men and women of our armed forces. The war fighting prowess of the American military is extraordinary in its capability a… Continue Reading
March 31, 2011
Lugar Urges Colombian President Santos to Extradite Suspected Drug Kingpin Walid Makled to the United States
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement today regarding the extradition of suspected drug kingpin Walid Makled from Colombia: In August of last year, acting on a U.S. arrest warrant issued by a Federal Court in Manhattan, and with support of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Colombian security services arrested Walid Makled Garcia in the town of Cucuta, which sits on the Colombia-Venezuela border. Makled… Continue Reading
March 29, 2011
Lugar Says U.S. Must be Advocate for Religious Freedom
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement today at a Committee nomination hearing: The Foreign Relations Committee again considers the nomination of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook to serve as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. If confirmed, the nominee would serve as principle advisor to the President and Secretary of State on religious liberty issues. Her responsibilities would include submitting the… Continue Reading
March 22, 2011
Lugar Meets with Indiana American Legion Delegation
Senator Dick Lugar and his staff met today with leaders from the American Legion Department of Indiana and the Sons of the American Legion's Detachment of Indiana. The group discussed the importance of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system and the challenges for some Hoosier veterans. The delegation discussed the need for continued support for Hoosier troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the Legion's Operation Comfort Warriors that work to make a wounded soldier'… Continue Reading
March 21, 2011
Lugar: Budget and Troops Too Stretched for Libyan Action
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reiterated his call today for "full congressional debate on the objectives and costs" of President Obama's military actions in Libya, "and a declaration of war" to proceed. "There needs to be a plan about what happens after Gadhafi," Lugar said. "Who will be in charge then, and who pays for this all. President Obama, so far, has only expressed vague hopes." "Congress has been squabbling for months over a bu… Continue Reading
March 21, 2011
Lugar to appear on Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC
Senator Dick Lugar is scheduled to appear live at 1:30 p.m. today on Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss Libya. Lugar will appear at 1:30 p.m. EST. Clips from the episode will be available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29974370/. ###… Continue Reading
March 19, 2011
Lugar to appear on CBS Face the Nation
Senator Dick Lugar is scheduled to appear on Face the Nation on CBS on Sunday, March 20, to discuss Libya. Lugar will appear at 10:30 a.m. EST. Clips from the episode will be available at http://www.cbsnews.com/ftn.… Continue Reading
March 17, 2011
Lugar applauds opening of Nunn-Lugar Bio-Threat Laboratory in Tbilisi, Georgia
U.S. Senator Dick Lugar today hailed the latest advancement in protecting Americans against global biological risks through Nunn-Lugar Global. The Nunn-Lugar Central Public Health Research Laboratory is opening in Tbilisi, Georgia. Nunn-Lugar labs are critical for cooperative efforts to identify and report potentially deadly pathogens before they can spread. "I am confident that the CPHRL will become a premier center for disease surveillance, reference, and research and advance the security o… Continue Reading
March 17, 2011
Lugar Says War Spending Must be Considered in Libya Debate
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered the following remarks at a committee hearing today on developments in the Middle East: I join the Chairman in welcoming Secretary Burns. I am pleased that the Foreign Relations Committee is meeting to discuss the challenges stemming from the upheaval that has swept the Middle East over the past three months. There has been dramatic change, but we are only at the very beginning of a long proce… Continue Reading
March 15, 2011
Lugar, Stutzman Introduce Bill to Ensure U.S. Farmers Are Represented in Environmental Decisions
Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congressmen Bruce Braley (D-IA) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation that would ensure that American farmers are represented in the decision-making process for environmental policies and regulations that could affect U.S. agriculture. The Klobuchar-Lugar Representation for Farmers Act would give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to appoint up to three members with agricultural backgrounds to the Environmen… Continue Reading
March 15, 2011
Lugar Tells Christian Coalition Costs of Foreign Oil Are Too High
Senator Dick Lugar delivered the following remarks at an energy conference held by the Christian Coalition today in Washington: It is a great pleasure to join you today for this important discussion on energy, faith, and family. I want to thank Roberta Combs for her invitation and for her personal leadership and advocacy that solving our energy crisis is fundamental to ensuring the security, economy, and well-being of all Americans. Hoosiers and Americans feel the pain of our foreign oil … Continue Reading
March 14, 2011
Lugar Says Arab League Should Pay for Libyan No-Fly Zone
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement: On Saturday, March 12, in a consensus decision, the Arab League endorsed a no-fly zone over Libya imposed by Western nations. What was not included in the Arab League's decision was any commitment to provide resources for the costs of a no-fly zone. Any effective no-fly zone likely would require American participation and military assets. Such an operation could c… Continue Reading
March 14, 2011
Kerry-Lugar-Udall Visa Bill Will Create Jobs in America
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.), today reintroduced legislation to drive job creation and increase America's global competiveness by helping immigrant entrepreneurs secure visas to the United States. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) plans to introduce companion legislation in the House. The StartUp Visa Act of 2011 will allow… Continue Reading
March 10, 2011
Lugar Says No Trade Deal, Without All Three Trade Deals
Senator Dick Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today vowed to help block the Obama Administration's South Korea free-trade agreement, unless the Colombia and Panama trade agreements signed by former President George W. Bush are also submitted to Congress for approval. "Jobs are being lost in Indiana," Lugar said. "Trade opportunities are being lost all because the Obama Administration is bowing to interest group pressure." Lugar said that while the unempl… Continue Reading
March 08, 2011
Lugar Says U.S Cannot Afford a War in Libya
Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement today: Protestors and innocent people in Libya are being shot and killed. The tanks of Muammar Qadhafi's supporters are firing at lightly-armed rebels and government planes are attacking insurgent positions. Understandably, calls are growing for the United States to step in and do something to stop the bloodshed. The most popular option is imposing a no-fly zone, a… Continue Reading
March 07, 2011
Lugar to appear on CNN’s John King, USA
Senator Dick Lugar is scheduled to appear on CNN's John King, USA on Monday, March 7, 2011, to discuss current events surrounding Libya and the Middle East. The show airs from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST. Watch the clip from the episode. ###… Continue Reading
March 07, 2011
Lugar Named by Nancy Reagan to Serve on Ronald Reagan Centennial Committee
Senator Dick Lugar has been named by former First Lady Nancy Reagan to a special host committee for an event honoring the centennial of the birth of the late President Ronald Reagan. Lugar accepted the request of Mrs. Reagan to serve on the Honorary Congressional Centennial Host Committee for an event in Washington honoring the 40th President of the United States with the presentation of the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award. "On the evening of May 24th," Mrs. Reagan wrote to Lugar, "the Trustees of… Continue Reading
March 03, 2011
Lugar Says Economic Growth Hurt by Obama Administration
U.S. Senator Dick Lugar today said that the Obama Administration is hurting economic growth, especially in agriculture products, because it "lacks a sufficient commitment to exports and trade promotion." "We cannot achieve a full economic recovery in isolation from the rest of the world," Lugar told Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing this afternoon. "This is especially true with regard to trade policy." Lugar said that the "United States … Continue Reading
March 03, 2011
Lugar Cosponsors Legislation to Prevent Further EPA Regulation
Senator Dick Lugar today joined 42 other Republican Senators in introducing "The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011". The legislation prevents the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gases under the existing Clean Air Act. "Indiana continues to suffer from 9.5% unemployment, higher than the national average," said Lugar. "The last thing we need at this critical stage of economic recovery is to have a bunch of big government federal regulators coming with rules… Continue Reading
