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BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced a Twitter campaign entitled #CCPrisoners. During the 27 days of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Senator Risch will be highlighting 27 individuals who have been unjustly kidnapped, detained, or killed by the CCP, whether that...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today published a report entitled “ Left Behind: A Brief Assessment of the Biden Administration’s Strategic Failures during the Afghanistan Evacuation ,” to give an overview of what went wrong in the planning and execution of the Biden...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s refusal to fully answer questions regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuation efforts since August:“While I appreciate that Secretary Austin finally came to the Hill to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern regarding the energy deals the Biden Administration is...

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 U.S. policy in the wake of Sudan’s October 25th coup. The committee heard witness testimony from the Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, assistant secretary of State for African...

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 statement in advance of the first anniversary of the coup in Burma on February 1:“Tomorrow marks one year since the Tatmadaw carried out a violent military coup d’etat in Burma,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to President Biden earlier this month expressing his concern regarding a lack of U.S. nominations to numerous key positions around the world while the United States faces a myriad of national security challenges. Risch also...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on CNN’s State of the Union to discuss Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and their legislative efforts to address it.   Watch the full interview...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in Foreign Policy today on his philosophy regarding ambassador and State Department nominations.“My policy on nominations is no secret. I believe an executive should be able to pick his team and have them in action...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business and Charles Payne on Fox News to discuss Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the Biden Administration’s mixed messages. To watch the full Fox Business interview on YouTube, click here. To watch...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently welcomed six new committee interns for the spring term.   “On behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority, I’m happy to welcome a new group of ambitious interns for our spring term,” said Risch. “Today, Congress is facing...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on North Korea’s recent missile tests:“Having already fielded intercontinental ballistic missiles to threaten the United States, North Korea is now refining tactical capabilities to fight and win a war through...

\WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today co-led a press conference on Ukraine with Republican members of the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Armed Services Committees. The members discussed ongoing tensions in Eastern Europe as Russia maintains at least 100,000 troops at the...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), sent a letter to President Joe Biden encouraging his administration to continue pushing for the safe release of Austin Tice, a Houston native, Marine veteran, and journalist who has been held captive in Syria for nearly a...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to pass S.3436, Protecting Europe's Energy Security Implementation Act.“The vote today showed a bipartisan majority is still in support of shutting down Nord Stream 2 (NS)....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul (R-Texas), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), ranking member of the House...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were joined by U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in writing to Secretary of State Antony Blinken...

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 business meeting.Ranking Member Risch gave the following remarks: “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.“I concur in your remarks about filling these vacancies. It’s important. I’m glad...

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 Ms. Sarah H. Cleveland, nominee to be legal adviser of the Department of State, Mr. James C. O'Brien, nominee to be head of the office of sanctions coordination,...

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 U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), ranking member and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today sent a letter to President Biden requesting a...