WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee nominations hearing. Witnesses included The Honorable Peter Hoekstra to be ambassador to Canada, The Honorable George Glass to be ambassador to Japan, and The Honorable Ronald Johnson to be ambassador to Mexico.
Chairman Risch gave the following remarks:
“Today, America will hear from the president’s nominees to be U.S. ambassadors to some of our most important allies. The threats we face from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are too big for anyone to face alone. I hope our nominees would agree that we need mutually beneficial relationships with our friends like Canada, Mexico, and Japan—and that they will act on day one to make this happen and it’s incredibly important.
“Our first nominee, Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, served the people of Michigan in Congress for nearly two decades and as ambassador to the Netherlands in Trump’s first term. Now, as ambassador to Canada, Ambassador Hoekstra, you will work with a country that is not just a neighbor, but a NATO treaty ally and major trade partner.
“I look forward to hearing how you will urge our Canadian friends to increase their military spending which they acknowledge publicly that they need to do. They need to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command to meet the real threats that both of our nations face. Canada must show meaningful change and fulfill its defense obligations. Canada’s low contributions are not as helpful to NATO’s collective defense as they can or they should be.
“Turning to Japan, Mr. Glass, you have an opportunity to further modernize the U.S.-Japanese alliance to ensure our countries are prepared to deter the long-term threats we face from China.
President Trump’s summit reaffirmed U.S. commitment to Japan’s security, including through our nuclear umbrella. Our alliance is rock solid. To build on this foundation, we need to prioritize the important economic and security relationships the U.S. and Japan share with South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
“Japan is stepping up its defense capabilities, its decision to develop counterstrike capabilities is a key example of this. But like all our allies, Japan must do more to bolster its defenses. I hope that working with the Japanese to do this will be a priority for you.
“You also have a chance to strengthen our trade and investment relationships with Japan. We have some trade friction with Japan in my home state, in Idaho, that’s been ongoing for a long time – its market remains closed to our fresh potatoes, and we are not seeing progress. I hope you will work with me to resolve this once you’re confirmed.
“Finally, I am pleased to welcome back Ambassador Johnson, who has served the U.S. government for over four decades, most recently as the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. As ambassador to Mexico, you’ll face a unique set of challenges that are critical threats to U.S. national security.
“All of us are seriously concerned about the role of Mexican cartels in the manufacture and trafficking of lethal narcotics like fentanyl and of course in illegal immigration. These criminal activities pose unprecedented and direct threats to American families – every state in America is truly a border state.
“President Trump’s designation of cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, his enforcement of security at the border, and the vigorous enforcement of U.S. immigration laws to protect domestic security deserve our thanks and praise. Thanks to these policies under President Trump, we are seeing historically low illegal immigration numbers for the first time in decades.
“Ambassador Johnson, I hope you will work with the Mexican government to further combat illegal immigration, put a stop to drug trafficking from Mexico, and promote peace and stability in the Western Hemisphere by encouraging Mexico to do more to counter China, Russia, and other malign countries. The impending review of the USMCA will provide some opportunity to do this, and I hope you’ll seize it.
“Thank you to all of our three witnesses for being here today. If confirmed, you will have big jobs ahead of you. I look forward to working with you to improve these important bilateral relationships as we all work to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
“With that, Senator Shaheen.”
These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Witness testimony is available on foreign.senate.gov.
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