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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statements to introduce legislation that seeks to deepen and expand the Abraham Accords and Negev Forum – relationships that are profoundly changing the dynamics in the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced Thursday it had sanctioned entities linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for fueling the conflict in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of a tax treaty with Chile. “Tax treaties are a critical part of the U.S. tax landscape. They prevent double taxation for U.S. taxpayers, help eliminate tax uncertainty, and are important instruments in fighting...

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 accountability for Russian atrocities in Ukraine. The witness was The Honorable Beth Van Schaack, ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice at the Department of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led 18 colleagues in introducing the Taliban Sanctions Act, legislation to hold the Taliban accountable with sanctions for terrorism, human rights abuses, drug trafficking, and more. Joining Risch in introduction are Senators Bill...

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, last week sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting information regarding the administration’s handling of...

BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned certain Chinese companies from using microchips made by Micron Technology: “The CCP’s actions against Micron are blatantly coercive, and have...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), today introduced the No START...

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 assessing U.S. policy towards the Western Balkans. Witnesses included The Honorable Derek Chollet, counselor at the Department of State, and Mr. Gabriel Escobar,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on U.S. Iran policy: “It’s been over six months since President Biden declared the JCPOA ‘dead’ and we’re still no closer to a more comprehensive Iran policy. Strategic...

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 what comes next for U.S. policy towards Russia. The witnesses included The Honorable John Sullivan, former deputy secretary of State and U.S. ambassador to Russia, and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday reintroduced the Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador (ACES) Act, legislation requiring a State Department report on El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin and potential...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), today reintroduced a bill to require the U.S. State Department to release a public, unclassified version of the July 13, 2021, internal dissent channel cable that reportedly warned of the...

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 conflict in Sudan: options for an effective policy response. The witnesses included The Honorable Victoria Nuland, under secretary of State for political affairs, and...

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 released the following statement condemning the Arab League’s decision to re-admit Syria: “We condemn the Arab League foreign ministers’ decision to re-admit Syria, the latest...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) yesterday introduced the Truncating Onerous Regulations for Partners and Enhancing Deterrence Operations (TORPEDO) Act, legislation to enable cooperation with the United Kingdom and Australia on advanced defense...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in addition to Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, today...

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. The nominees included Arthur W. Brown, nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Peru, Roger F....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded committee passage of the MCC Candidate Country Reform Act and the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations (PARTNER) with ASEAN Act. MCC Candidate Country Reform Act “The MCC has...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today welcomed Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the U.S. Capitol. “I was pleased to welcome President Marcos to the U.S. Senate today. Under his leadership, the U.S.-Philippine alliance has become stronger. I am...