WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s National Security Memorandum 20:
“The Biden Administration’s new arms transfer policy demonstrates a pattern of shortsighted decisions that prioritize virtue signaling to political constituencies over the security needs of the United States and its allies. The burdensome reporting requirements will add layers of red tape and further slow the delivery of security assistance to our partners.
“Human rights have long-been a vital factor informing our security assistance decisions, as evidenced by the policies of the Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump Administrations. The Biden Administration’s new policy, however, misses the mark. It is anti-Israel and calls into question the reliability of the administration, just like the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, costly delays in security assistance to Ukraine, and the Chinese balloon incident.
“Additionally, the administration’s failure to consult the committees of jurisdiction prior to the rollout of this policy shows blatant disregard for the role of Congress. Just last month, I told the Secretary of State it was time to return to regular order when it comes to consultations related to the arms transfer process. It is clear the administration does not intend to keep to this commitment.”
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