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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the State Department’s impending report on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, as mandated by the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act:“The administration has finally acknowledged what we’ve known all along –...

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 nomination hearing for the Honorable Brian A. Nichols, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs, and the Honorable Michele Jeanne Sison, nominee to be...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today were joined by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in introducing a bipartisan resolution reaffirming the United States’ dedication to the Republic of Korea as a crucial ally. The...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday joined U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and 42 Republican colleagues in urging President Joe Biden to stand with our closest ally in the region, Israel. As Israel is under attack from Iranian-backed terrorists, the Biden...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave remarks at a hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic and the international response. The committee heard witness testimony from the Honorable Gayle E. Smith, coordinator for global COVID response and health security, and Mr. Jeremy Konyndyk,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, put out the following statement on the release of Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia from prison:“I am encouraged to see that Nika Melia, leader of Georgia’s United National Movement Party, has been released from prison. His release fulfills...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, issued the following joint statement after the selection of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), lead...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on President Biden’s address to the joint session of Congress tonight: “It is clear to me tonight that President Biden and I agree on at least one thing – our greatest international...

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 nomination hearing for the Honorable Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins, to be under secretary of State for arms control and international security and the Honorable Jose W. Fernandez to be...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave remarks at a hearing on U.S. policy on Afghanistan. The committee heard witness testimony from the Honorable Zalmay Khalilzad, special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation at the U.S. Department of State.Ranking Member Risch...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued a statement encouraging the World Health Assembly to invite Taiwan to its upcoming session from May 24 to June 1. “Given Taiwan’s remarkable success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and active role in helping...

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member and chair of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, announced the introduction of a bipartisan resolution in support of full implementation of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) issued the following joint statement in the lead-up to the elections in Albania scheduled for this weekend: “As Albania prepares for national elections on April 25, we encourage the Albanian people to vote. We urge...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led 20 colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern for the administration’s recent decision to resume U.S. foreign assistance funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of their Ukraine Security Partnership Act. This legislation increases and improves U.S. military support to Ukraine, and sends a message that the United States will...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of their bipartisan, comprehensive China legislation. Entitled the Strategic Competition Act, the legislation is an unprecedented, bipartisan effort to mobilize all...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), chair of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of this week’s Organization of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on yesterday’s agreement between the Georgian government and opposition party leaders to end a political deadlock following last October’s national election: “Monday’s political...

WASHINGTON – In response to Russia’s massive military buildup on its border with Ukraine and in illegally occupied Crimea, the increase in fighting in eastern Ukraine, and Russia’s anti-Ukraine disinformation campaign, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,...