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Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in reaction to the election of Pope Francis I: “A new leader has emerged onto the world stage with the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis I. It is a significant...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, is currently presiding over a full committee hearing on U.S. policy toward North Korea. In light of the recent North Korean nuclear and missile tests, the hearing is intended to provide a broad-based examination of current U.S. policy towards North...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the death of Hugo Chavez: “Hugo Chavez ruled Venezuela with an iron hand and his passing has left a political void that we hope will be filled peacefully and through a constitutional and democratic...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today spoke before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual policy conference. The Senator’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below: Thank you Lonny Kaplan for your always kind introduction, and for...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the State Department’s Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline: “Today’s release of State Department’s Draft Supplemental EIS begins a...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – As part of a regional tour that began in Afghanistan earlier in the week, Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visited Pakistan yesterday and today to promote the strengthening of ties between the two countries.  During meetings with the President of Pakistan Asif Zardari,...

KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace in Kabul. In his first trip to Afghanistan as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he also met with new International Security Assistance...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement on the announcement by Bulgarian officials that  a comprehensive investigation into the July 18, 2012 terrorist attack on a tour bus in Burgas, Bulgaria has determined that two of the assailants had ties...

Washington, DC – Senator John Kerry today spoke on the floor of the United States Senate for the last time as the Senator from Massachusetts to thank his colleagues, staff, and constituents for their support and friendship over the past 29 years, and talk candidly about the importance of the Senate functioning effectively. “If democracy...

Washington, DC – At a business meeting led by Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) this morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved by voice vote the nomination of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) to the post of Secretary of State. Following their approval of Sen. Kerry’s nomination, committee members presented Kerry with a...

Washington, DC – This morning, Senator John Kerry made the following statement at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to consider his nomination to be United States Secretary of State. Current United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced Senator...

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate last night passed bipartisan legislation to expand and modernize the State Department Rewards Program to combat war crimes and transnational organized crime. S.2318, sponsored by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.), along with other...

Washington, DC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) delivered the following statement at a hearing this morning following the release of the independent Accountability Review Board report earlier this week.   “Clearly mistakes were made and we learned of those yesterday in very stark terms about the...

“I've known and worked closely with Susan Rice not just at the UN, but in my own campaign for President. I've defended her publicly and wouldn't hesitate to do so again because I know her character and I know her commitment. She's an extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant. Today’s announcement doesn't change any of that....

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today released a statement following the announcement that North Korea had launched a rocket with an attached satellite. "It’s ‘Groundhog Day’ once again with another provocative and destabilizing act in direct violation of United Nations...

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today released a statement following the announcement of Ambassador Princeton Lyman’s resignation as the president’s special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. In the events leading up to the 2011 referendum and subsequent independence of South...

WASHINGTON – Following the Senate’s approval by a vote of 92-4 of a measure to normalize trade relations with Russia and remove prohibitive, antiquated trade barriers today, Senator John Kerry pointed towards new export opportunities for businesses in Massachusetts. In July, Kerry joined Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus in...

Washington, DC – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement today after Senate Republicans voted down the “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” an international agreement for protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities, by a vote of...

Today's the vote that will decide the Disabilities Treaty. We're just a few short hours away. I was up late last night getting ready for the final floor debate, and I searched Twitter to see what folks were saying.There's obviously a lot of good and needed activism happening, and that's gratifying. But there's also a lot of misinformation being...

Watching cable television you might not know it, but the Senate is on the eve of a major decision that - either way - will ripple around the globe. It's time for action in the Senate on the Disabilities Treaty, and it's time for grassroots action to help push us across the finish line. Here in the Senate tomorrow, with all the world's eyes...