WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Wednesday after U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the Committee chairman, announced he would retire from the Senate when his term expires at the end of 2018:
“Bob Corker is a consummate statesman and a thoughtful policymaker who has always served his constituents and his nation admirably.
“Personally, I am saddened by this news because over our years of service together on the Foreign Relations Committee, first as members but since 2015, as chair and ranking member, Bob and I have forged a genuine partnership and friendship. It has been a privilege to lead the Committee with Bob as Chairman. Our work has been steeped in a love of country and the enduring belief that the foreign policy of the United States should always be conducted in a bipartisan, sober, values-based manner.
“Importantly, Bob will still be in the Senate for more than a year and I expect to continue to accomplish a great deal with him as our chairman. Congressional prerogatives and oversight of U.S. foreign affairs are more important than ever as we confront growing global challenges.
“This was no doubt a difficult decision for Bob to make, and I only wish him, his wife Elizabeth, and their family, the best in their future endeavors after this chapter of their public life comes to a close.”
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