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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign relations Committee, last week introduced comprehensive global health legislation entitled the International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act (S. 2297) to improve global health and pandemic preparedness...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after meeting with Afghan President Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah: “I was glad to have the opportunity to meet with President...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the committee’s approval of six bills, four resolutions, seven nominees, and one FSO list during two business meetings this week:“I am glad the committee came together today in a bipartisan manner to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho), House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy Ranking Member Mark Green (R-Tenn.) released the following...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), lead Republican of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to immediately impose the legally-mandated second round of sanctions as required by...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after President Biden’s summit with Russian President Putin: “During Putin’s 20-year rule in Russia, the West has failed to meet his aggressive conduct with any response that has generated...

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 Todd D. Robinson, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs, Mr. Brett M. Holmgren,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees the Middle East, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees human rights, and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in sending a letter to U.S....

WASHINGTON – Ahead of President Biden’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in the Washington Post on why Biden must develop a concrete agenda for the summit or risk an increased sphere of Russian influence over the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), President Pro Tempore of the Senate, yesterday led Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Majority Whip, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Todd Young...

WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 21 of their Republican colleagues in introducing the Iran Nuclear Treaty Act. This bill will give the American people a proper constitutional check by...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to President Biden voicing concerns over the review to re-open the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Office in the United States that was dissolved under the Trump Administration.“I strongly believe that such a...

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 Belarus. The committee heard witness testimony from the honorable Julie Fisher, United States ambassador-designate to the Republic of Belarus, Ms. Sviatlana...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Senate’s final passage of the United States Innovation and Competition Act (S.1260): “As I have said for years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) presents a grave threat to U.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 the FY 2022 State Department budget request. The committee heard witness testimony from Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. Ranking Member Risch gave the following...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, applauded Secretary Blinken's announcement today that the United States will impose visa restrictions on individuals who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis in the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today joined to reaffirm their support for the Biden...

BOISE, Idaho – Today, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, gave the following statement in recognition of the 32nd  anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre:“Thirty-two years ago, hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens gathered in Tiananmen Square to call for democracy, free speech,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on President Biden’s FY2022 international affairs budget request:“At first glance, the president's international affairs budget request for FY2022 appears to have some bright spots, in particular the areas...

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 U.S. strategy and policy response to the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia.  Ranking Member Risch gave the following remarks: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.“Ethiopia is a vital and...