WASHINGTON – This morning, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered an opening statement at SFRC’s Business Meeting. The agenda included the consideration of various nominees and legislation, including The International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
A copy of the Chairman’s remarks as prepared have been provided below.
“Today, we are considering several important pieces of legislation and a handful of nominations.
We have requests for holdovers on the Taiwan Tax Agreement Act and the HARM Act, both of which I intend to honor.
I have also conferred with Senator Risch, and we will hold another business meeting next week.
Turning first to nominations.
We have a number of important ones on the agenda: Sierra Leone, Laos, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Cabo Verde, and Micronesia.
These posts are each strategically important to the United States, especially in the face of the China challenge.
I hope all of you support the nominations before us today.
Turning to legislation, we will vote on three bills and four resolutions that represent the good bipartisan work of many members of the Committee and the Senate.
I will speak to a few.
First, I am pleased that we are again taking up the International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
Last year, this bill passed out of Committee and subsequently the Senate, both times by voice vote.
Along with Senator Risch, and with support from Senators Kaine, Rubio, and others, I have reintroduced this critical legislation to reauthorize and strengthen U.S. tools to fight the scourge of human trafficking around the world.
I hope we all support it again, as we did last year.
I will also say a few words about the Taiwan Tax Agreement Act despite the holdover.
I am grateful for the superb collaboration with Senator Risch and his staff, as well as support from Senator Van Hollen and Senator Romney, who are original co-sponsors on this legislation.
This legislation comes at a critical time.
It would authorize a tax agreement with Taiwan that will facilitate investment in key, strategic industries such as semiconductors, support U.S. businesses active in Taiwan, and deepen our economic engagement with Taiwan.
The Administration concluded the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade just last week, and this is a necessary complement to those efforts.
It is something that Taiwan has requested.
It is something the Administration has asked to work with us on.
It is something that U.S. businesses support.
Just today, the Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Committee expressing its strong support for this bill in recognition of the importance of a tax agreement between the United States and Taiwan.
I ask unanimous consent that the letter be added to the record.
This Committee needs to act to move this bill forward quickly.
We are also taking up other important bills sponsored by Senators Rubio and Romney, and resolutions sponsored by Senators Coons, Merkley, and Peters.
I appreciate the work of all these members.
I will note briefly on the Peters resolution on Paul Whelan: all of us are unified in condemning Russia’s unlawful detention of Mr. Whelan and urge the Administration to continue to do everything possible to ensure his return.
Finally, I also want to note that I expect to be able to notice a markup for June 21st for the State Department authorization bill.
This is one of the most important responsibilities of this Committee, and I am pleased to have re-invigorated the function during my Chairmanship.
A State authorization bill has been enacted two years in row after a near two-decade lapse.
I deeply appreciate the work of Senator Risch and his team, along with many members here, and I am confident that we will move forward a strong, bipartisan product.
With that, I will turn to Ranking Member Risch for his opening remarks.”
Remarks edited lightly for clarity.
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