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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 nomination hearing for the Honorable Donald Lu, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for South Asian affairs, Ms. Jessica Lewis, nominee to be an assistant secretary 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, Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today applauded committee passage of the International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act (S. 2297), comprehensive legislation...

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 U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman and chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to President Biden asking the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today met with Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita to discuss the U.S.-Japan alliance. “It was a pleasure to meet with Ambassador Tomita today. Japan is a key U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific, and I was grateful for the opportunity to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led 12 colleagues in introducing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency Accountability and Transparency Act . This legislation outlines a comprehensive approach to cease U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday met with Masih Alinejad, the Iranian-American journalist who was targeted in an Iranian kidnapping plot. “It was an honor to meet Masih Alinejad yesterday,” said Senator Risch. “The Iranian regime’s...

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. policy on Turkey. The committee heard witness testimony from The Honorable Victoria Nuland, under secretary of State for political affairs.Ranking Member Risch...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan:“I was glad to welcome my friend, His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan, back to our committee today. The U.S.-Jordanian friendship is a long-standing...

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 deal with Germany on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline:“This proposed “agreement,” to allow the completion of Nord Stream 2 between the United States and Germany is full of promises...

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 nomination hearing for Dr. Karen Donfried, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, the Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, nominee to be assistant...

Watch full exchange here .WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday questioned United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power on the irony of China profiting from selling it’s sub-par vaccines to COVAX after refusing to donate money or vaccines...

Bicameral resolution calls for holding the Cuban Regime accountable for its violent response to citizens demonstrating for basic freedoms, democracy and respect for human rightsWASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the subcommittee overseeing the Western Hemisphere, in introducing a resolution in support of the courageous Cuban people as they lead historic protests throughout the island...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today urged the Biden Administration to suspend indirect negotiations with the Iranians in Vienna after four Iranian intelligence officials attempted to kidnap an American-based journalist:“Iran’s brazen attempt to kidnap an American journalist...

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 FY 2022 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) budget request. The committee heard witness testimony from the Honorable Samantha Power, administrator of...

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 nomination hearing for Ms. Monica P. Medina, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, the Honorable Gentry O....

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the 10th anniversary of South Sudan’s independence: “Today, the people of South Sudan celebrate 10 years of independence. Unfortunately, they have yet to realize the promises of their...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement ahead of the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) vote to renew and expand cross-border humanitarian aid into Syria:“Over the last two years, three of four U.N.-backed and monitored border...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently welcomed seven new committee interns for the summer term. “On behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority, I’m glad to welcome a new group of talented interns for our summer term,” said Risch. “These students will...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of State released its 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report:“The State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report is an important opportunity to address the global scourge of...