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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 nominations hearing. Witnesses included Mr. Warren Stephens to be ambassador to the UK, Mr. Thomas Barrack to be ambassador to Turkey, and Mr. Tilman Fertitta to be ambassador to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres against establishing special investigatory powers to target Israel. Chairmen Risch and Mast, in particular, warned...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) today held a committee business meeting during which members approved two nominations, five bills, and four resolutions. They released the following joint statement: “Today, in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s first legislative markup in 11 months, we were pleased to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today held a committee business meeting during which members approved two nominations, five bills, and four resolutions. This business meeting marks the first substantive legislative business meeting the committee has had in a year. Chairman Risch on...

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 hearing titled “Shared Threats: Indo-Pacific Alliances and Burden Sharing in Today’s Geopolitical Environment.” Witnesses included The Honorable Randall Schriver, Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro,...

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 Mr. Reed Rubinstein to legal advisor of the State Department, The Honorable Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel, and The Honorable Kevin Cabrera...

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the statement below regarding the confirmation of Mr. Christopher Landau to serve as Deputy Secretary of State. “I’m thrilled that my colleagues have voted to confirm Mr. Landau to be Deputy Secretary of State. Mr. Landau previously...

WASHINGTON – This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will convene for one nomination hearing, one full committee hearing, one subcommittee hearing, and one business meeting. Nomination Hearing: Mr. Reed Rubinstein to legal advisor of the State Department, The Honorable Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel, The Honorable Kevin Cabrera...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the statement below following air strikes on the capital of Yemen: “I applaud the president’s decisive action in Yemen. With Iran’s support, the Houthis have operated with impunity for far too long, attacked American sailors, attacked...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) yesterday introduced the United States African Development Foundation Dissolution Act, which would reduce government bureaucracy and eliminate a primary source of waste, fraud, and abuse by abolishing the United States African...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) led a group of nine bipartisan House and Senate colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlining their deep concern over Republika Srpska leader...

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 nominations hearing. Witnesses included The Honorable Peter Hoekstra to be ambassador to Canada, The Honorable George Glass to be ambassador to Japan, and The Honorable Ronald Johnson to be...

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after members approved the nomination of the Honorable Christopher Landau to be Deputy Secretary of State, the Honorable Michael John Rigas to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, and the Honorable...

WASHINGTON – This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will convene for one business meeting and one nomination hearing. Business Meeting - Date: Wednesday, March 12th, 2025 - Time: 10:00am - Location: United States Capitol, S-116 - This event will not be livestreamed - Members of the press interested in covering this event in person...

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last week introduced the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act. This bipartisan legislation supports the people of Georgia as...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced the Break Up Suspicious Transactions of Fentanyl Act, or the BUST FENTANYL Act, which would crack down on the import of deadly fentanyl and its precursors flowing from China, to Mexico,...

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 hearing titled “Advancing American Interests in the Western Hemisphere”. Witnesses included Dr. Joseph Ledford, Fellow and Assistant Director at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and Ms....

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the statement below following President Trump’s address to a Joint Session of Congress this evening.   “Today, America faces threats from every corner of the world. Hostile powers like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran have formed an...

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 The Honorable Christopher Landau to be Deputy Secretary of State, The Honorable Michael John Rigas to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and...

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Senator Shaheen (D-N.H.) today released the following statement regarding the government of Thailand’s forced return of Uyghur men back to China, where the Chinese government is actively committing genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.  “The Thai government’s decision to send dozens...