June 18, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee nomination hearing. Witnesses included Juan Segura to be an assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs, Brendan Hanrahan to be assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Rudolph Bauer to be ambassador to Belize, Kari Lake to be ambassador to Jamaica, and Michael Vance to be assistant secretary of State for intelligence and research.
Chairman Risch gave the following remarks:
“Thank you again to our nominees and their families for being with us today.
“I’m going to start, Mr. Vance, with you. While the bureau you would manage is smaller than some of its intelligence counterparts, the assistant secretary of state for Intelligence and Research, or INR, and its staff punch well above their weight in competition with the other intelligence agencies that America has. INR has a history of analytic independence and was famously the only intelligence agency to get it right on what would happen when Putin got into Ukraine. Every other agency estimated that the war was going to last somewhere between three days and three weeks. Today, I hope to hear how you will continue this tradition and advance the Administration’s national security priorities.
“Mr. Hanrahan, as you know, the U.S. and Europe share the world’s largest economic relationship and account for one-third of global trade. Our security alliances and institutions— most of all NATO, which is the most successful political military alliance in the history of world— have underpinned an unprecedented period of growth and prosperity on this planet. But the threat posed by Russia, China and Iran working together grows clearer by the day, and we need our European allies on our side to confront them.
“As assistant secretary for the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, you will be on the frontlines of defending Americans from these threats. I am eager to hear how you will implement policy that strengthens and modernizes our relationships in Europe, particularly our security and economic relationships. Those of us on this committee deal regularly with our European allies, and you will find some interesting conversations with them as you go forward. But it is important we maintain a good relationship with our allies.
“Mrs. Lake, the United States and Jamaica maintain a robust relationship based on shared democratic values, and our economic and security interests. I was glad Jamaica decided to end its participation in Cuba’s medical professionals labor trafficking and join the administration’s Shield of the Americas initiative. I hope that as ambassador, you would work with this positive inertia and advance U.S. interests in Jamaica and the Caribbean more broadly.
"Mr. Segura, the United States has an enduring interest in a prosperous, democratic, and stable Western Hemisphere, as clearly outlined in the National Security and National Defense Strategies. I believe the most substantial threats to U.S. interests in our hemisphere are China and violent transnational criminal organizations. I deeply appreciate President Trump’s actions to curb both threats in the Panama Canal, Mexico, and in Venezuela.
“Mr. Segura, I hope to hear from you on how you will build on this work as assistant secretary to the Western Hemisphere and ensure the United States can strengthen regional cooperation to advance our national interests.
“And finally, Mr. Bauer, as you know, the U.S. remains Belize’s top trading partner and largest foreign direct investor, underscoring our longstanding bilateral relationship. I appreciate Belize’s continued support for Taiwan, and I look forward to hearing from you on efforts to deepen that partnership and our partnership with this key Caribbean neighbor.
“Thank you again to all of our nominees. And with that, I would now like to turn to the Ranking Member, Senator Shaheen”
These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Witness testimony is available on foreign.senate.gov.