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Press

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with U.S. Representatives Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), in sending a letter to President Joe Biden regarding his administration’s failure to enforce the law. “We urge you to follow...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee nominations hearing. Witnesses included John McIntyre, nominee to be ambassador to Eswatini, Jeremey Neitzke, nominee to be ambassador to Lesotho, Abigail Dressel, nominee to be...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement on the State Department Office of Inspector General’s (IG) report detailing how the State Department...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today spoke at a press conference honoring Jimmy Lai, a political prisoner in Hong Kong. “The treatment of Jimmy Lai by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments is shameful and a travesty of justice. Mr. Lai has done nothing wrong – he is in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe, yesterday urged European leaders to increase their efforts against Iran and align their sanctions with those that the U.S. has imposed to date....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday met with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was wrongfully imprisoned for over five and a half years in Russia. “I was glad to meet with Paul Whelan yesterday and welcome him home after five and a half long years in Russian detention...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and colleagues in releasing a joint statement ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. The Palestinian Mission to the UN has submitted a disgraceful and flagrant resolution targeting the Jewish...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) upcoming vote on a biased, anti-Israel resolution proposed by the Palestinian Authority (PA): “Next Wednesday, UNGA will vote on a biased, anti-Israel...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee hearing on anti-NGO laws and other tools of democratic repression. Witnesses included Douglas Rutzen, president and CEO of the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law, Yaqui Wang,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee nominations hearing. Witnesses included The Honorable Julie Smith, nominee to be under secretary of State for political affairs, Stephanie L. Hallett, nominee to be ambassador to the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today met with American journalist Evan Gershkovich. “For over a year, Evan Gershkovich suffered at the hands of the Kremlin for simply doing his job – reporting on the harsh reality of life and politics in Russia. During that time, the U.S....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), as well as U.S....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today released the following statement on the Honduran government’s plans to terminate its extradition treaty with the United States: “We are deeply concerned by the Honduran government’s plans to terminate its...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), ranking member and chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, today released the following statement on controversial proposed judicial reforms in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), along with U.S. Representatives Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), today announced their intent to introduce the Venezuela Advancing Liberty, Opportunity, and Rights Act (VALOR Act) when...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently released a report entitled One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: A Review of U.S.-Europe Cooperation on China, that grades the Biden-Harris Administration on its lack of progress in addressing the challenges posed by China. This report is...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today called out the Biden-Harris Administration and congressional Democrats for continuing to turn their back on Israel. “While Israel continues to defend itself against Hamas, the Biden-Harris Administration and congressional Democrats are...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent the following statement on the border crisis that has been exacerbated by the Biden-Harris Administration’s failed policies: “It’s well known and documented that America’s illegal immigration and border crisis was put into overdrive once...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Biden-Harris Administration’s last four years of failed policy related to Venezuela: “The current predicament in Venezuela is no surprise to anyone who has paid attention. The Biden-Harris...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Biden-Harris Administration’s decision to finally certify that the United Kingdom and Australia have regulatory systems comparable to the United States: “It’s been nearly three years since AUKUS...