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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today urged the Biden Administration to suspend indirect negotiations with the Iranians in Vienna after four Iranian intelligence officials attempted to kidnap an American-based journalist:“Iran’s brazen attempt to kidnap an American journalist...

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 the FY 2022 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) budget request. The committee heard witness testimony from the Honorable Samantha Power, administrator of...

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. Monica P. Medina, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, the Honorable Gentry O....

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the 10th anniversary of South Sudan’s independence: “Today, the people of South Sudan celebrate 10 years of independence. Unfortunately, they have yet to realize the promises of their...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement ahead of the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) vote to renew and expand cross-border humanitarian aid into Syria:“Over the last two years, three of four U.N.-backed and monitored border...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently welcomed seven new committee interns for the summer term. “On behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority, I’m glad to welcome a new group of talented interns for our summer term,” said Risch. “These students will...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of State released its 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report:“The State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report is an important opportunity to address the global scourge of...

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of Beijing’s National Security Law in Hong Kong:“The so-called National Security Law essentially strips Hong Kong’s autonomy, quashes the rights and freedoms guaranteed to its...

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 issued the below statement in support of democratic elections in Libya: “We strongly support ongoing efforts by Libyan delegates in Geneva to establish a new constitutional framework 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, last week introduced comprehensive global health legislation entitled the International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act (S. 2297) to improve global health and pandemic preparedness...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after meeting with Afghan President Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah: “I was glad to have the opportunity to meet with President...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the committee’s approval of six bills, four resolutions, seven nominees, and one FSO list during two business meetings this week:“I am glad the committee came together today in a bipartisan manner to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho), House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy Ranking Member Mark Green (R-Tenn.) released the following...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), lead Republican of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to immediately impose the legally-mandated second round of sanctions as required by...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after President Biden’s summit with Russian President Putin: “During Putin’s 20-year rule in Russia, the West has failed to meet his aggressive conduct with any response that has generated...

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 Todd D. Robinson, nominee to be assistant secretary of State for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs, Mr. Brett M. Holmgren,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees the Middle East, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees human rights, and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in sending a letter to U.S....

WASHINGTON – Ahead of President Biden’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in the Washington Post on why Biden must develop a concrete agenda for the summit or risk an increased sphere of Russian influence over the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), President Pro Tempore of the Senate, yesterday led Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Majority Whip, Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Todd Young...

WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led 21 of their Republican colleagues in introducing the Iran Nuclear Treaty Act. This bill will give the American people a proper constitutional check by...