WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union Address:
“One year ago, we were on the precipice of war in Ukraine. The administration’s failures in the hazardous withdrawal from Afghanistan a few months prior was the green light Putin needed to launch his unwarranted invasion into sovereign territory. In the months leading up to war, and in the year since, the Biden Administration has consistently delayed sending critical support to the Ukrainians for fear of upsetting Putin. This pattern must stop. The sooner we give Ukraine the equipment it needs to defeat Russia, the sooner the war will end and the cheaper it will be.
“Now we face a similar situation in Taiwan. Xi is watching the U.S. response to Russia’s aggression, and weakness is provocative. We can help the Taiwanese prepare to defend themselves now, and avoid much greater costs later. Last year, I worked with my Senate colleagues to pass bipartisan, comprehensive legislation to provide Taiwan with what it needs to effectively deter, and if necessary defeat, Chinese aggression. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration did nothing to ensure it was properly funded. If we want to help Taiwan, we need to do better and faster.
“At home, the president continues to avoid addressing the cause of the crisis at our southern border and refuses to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs. Despite record-breaking levels of illegal immigration over the last two years, the administration has failed to act on the concrete recommendations I laid out in a committee report last June. President Biden can no longer ignore this issue. I will continue to press the administration to take action in the coming months.”
###