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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on U.S. Iran policy: “It’s been over six months since President Biden declared the JCPOA ‘dead’ and we’re still no closer to a more comprehensive Iran policy. Strategic...

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 what comes next for U.S. policy towards Russia. The witnesses included The Honorable John Sullivan, former deputy secretary of State and U.S. ambassador to Russia, and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday reintroduced the Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador (ACES) Act, legislation requiring a State Department report on El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin and potential...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), today reintroduced a bill to require the U.S. State Department to release a public, unclassified version of the July 13, 2021, internal dissent channel cable that reportedly warned of the...

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 conflict in Sudan: options for an effective policy response. The witnesses included The Honorable Victoria Nuland, under secretary of State for political affairs, and...

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 released the following statement condemning the Arab League’s decision to re-admit Syria: “We condemn the Arab League foreign ministers’ decision to re-admit Syria, the latest...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) yesterday introduced the Truncating Onerous Regulations for Partners and Enhancing Deterrence Operations (TORPEDO) Act, legislation to enable cooperation with the United Kingdom and Australia on advanced defense...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in addition to Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, today...

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 nominations hearing. The nominees included Arthur W. Brown, nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Peru, Roger F....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of the MCC Candidate Country Reform Act and the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations (PARTNER) with ASEAN Act. MCC Candidate Country Reform Act “The MCC has...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today welcomed Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the U.S. Capitol. “I was pleased to welcome President Marcos to the U.S. Senate today. Under his leadership, the U.S.-Philippine alliance has become stronger. I am...

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 applauded the committee’s passage of the Western Hemisphere Partnership Act, legislation to strengthen U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security relations with democratic countries in Latin...

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 applauded committee passage of S.Res.106, a resolution condemning Beijing's destruction of Hong Kong's democracy and rule of law. “The Hong Kong government’s continued harassment of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), were joined by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Chris Coons (D-Del.),...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution yesterday that condemns the human rights record of the government of Eswatini and the killing of Eswatini human rights activist Thulani Maseko in...

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, today released the following statement on the administration’s decision to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG): “We welcome the...

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 the FY2024 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) budget. The witness was The Honorable Samantha Power, administrator of USAID. Ranking Member...

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 sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing their concern regarding Lebanon’s ongoing political stalemate. Highlighting the consequences of Lebanon’s frozen presidential...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), chairman and ranking member of the SFRC Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, were joined today...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Tim Scott (R-S.C.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, today released the following statement expressing concern over recent clashes between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces, 20 years...