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 hearing titled “Advancing American Interests in the Western Hemisphere”. Witnesses included Dr. Joseph Ledford, Fellow and Assistant Director at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and Ms. Margaret Myers, Senior Advisor at the Inter-American Dialogue and Global Fellow at the Wilson Center.
Chairman Risch gave the following remarks:
“In 1823, President Monroe asserted the right and interest of the United States to oppose foreign powers meddling with the emerging independent nations in the Western Hemisphere.
“Monroe’s vision was of an America that protects the Western Hemisphere from foreign domination. Of course, Monroe lived in a different era - before world wars, before an increasingly global economy, even before airplanes and other rapid transportation, but his point is still relevant today.
“Prioritizing America’s national security interests means prioritizing a stable and prosperous Western Hemisphere, because America has adversaries who look to undermine our interests and our security by interfering in the affairs of our closest neighbors.
“As our enemies and competitors like Russia, China, and Iran expand their footprint in our hemisphere, we need to strengthen security and economic cooperation with our democratic neighbors to protect our interests. It was interesting to hear yesterday on our panel, the people who were up for positions in the administration focusing on the importance of economic cooperation and bringing that back into the equation. That has gotten a little lost because there are so many problems.
“The most pressing long-term threat in the Western Hemisphere is China. It has displaced the United States as the top trading partner for almost every country in South America. Across Latin America, China is extracting valuable critical minerals, building strategic ports, and deepening military cooperation.
“China remains the single greatest supplier of fentanyl to Mexican cartels. It is illegal for Chinese companies to sell these chemicals in China, but the Chinese government permits the same companies to send the chemicals to Mexico for production of fentanyl. The production of these opioids, and the cartels who shuttle them across our border, are killing over 100,000 Americans every year. That’s a staggering number, particularly when you put it on a daily and weekly basis.
“Further South, China is meddling in the Panama Canal as it seeks to control the shipping companies that move the cargo through it. President Trump is right to focus on China’s involvement in this critical infrastructure that we spent so much treasure and blood constructing. The fact of the matter is, China has and will use footholds in Latin America to threaten the U.S. We must counter their presence today to ensure it isn’t a vulnerability tomorrow.
“Beyond China, Iran has expanded its reach into our hemisphere. Iranian warships have docked in Brazil and Iranian proxies have built networks across Latin America.
“Meanwhile, Russia meddles in the region, conducting information operations and deploying troops, military aircraft, and naval vessels to Cuba and Nicaragua. Chinese money supports the governments in Cuba and Venezuela and Russian personnel ensure they stay in power. We can’t allow these authoritarian expansions of influence so close to home.
“While we need to push back, we also need to protect Americans by securing our border. President Trump and his team are working aggressively at this, as we all know, and I strongly support his efforts.
“Monroe had the right idea. Let’s prioritize solving the problems right in front of us and redouble our efforts to protect American national security by making sure our hemisphere is stable. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how we can do that and will now turn it over to my friend, the distinguished ranking member, Senator Shaheen.”
These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Witness testimony is available on foreign.senate.gov.