Chairman Risch Opening Statement at Rubio Budget Hearing

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 reviewing the Fiscal Year 2027 State Department Budget Request. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified.

Chairman Risch gave the following remarks:

"Secretary Rubio, it is good to see you here again.Though you're on the Hill often, a lot has changed since you last testified on the President's International Affairs Budget last year.

"The Department has undergone a major reorganization, making it operate more efficiently and more in line with America's interests, which we discussed before you even took the job. That has been executed quite well.

"At long last, governments are being pushed to live up to their responsibility to respond to the needs of their own citizens. America will stand by our allies and provide life-saving assistance to people in their hour of need, but we are not the world's ATM.

"And so, the Department is testing new ways of providing strategic assistance and breaking the cycle of dependence on aid. Renewed emphasis on trade over aid will help the American people and lift up countries around the world. This is American generosity and ingenuity in action.

"Through this budget, the Administration is holding UN organizations to account--badly overdue--and, alongside Ambassador Waltz, making sure American values are leading in international organizations.

"You've made securing the Western Hemisphere a top policy and budget priority and have successfully reduced illegal immigration at the southern border to the lowest level in half a century. That has not gone unnoticed. You've helped curb the trafficking of illegal fentanyl into the United States, saving countless lives.

"The budget prioritizes countering China's unfair trade practices, expanding military, and malign influence operations around the world, which pose some of the greatest threats in modern history to the American people. At the same time, you are working to ensure these efforts are strategic, targeted, and effective. We appreciate that.

"This Administration has also taken care to ensure taxpayer dollars don't go to those who are able but unwilling to pay for their own defense.

"Through concerted effort by you and your colleagues, our NATO allies have increased their defense spending and have committed to reach 5% by 2035. This is a major change from the way that you and I used to deal with this for the decade or more before this. Together, we need to create a next generation NATO that is stronger, more interoperable, and takes advantage of the industrial potential of American and European economies.

"We also must continue to coordinate with our European partners as they take greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine and work with our partners to deny Russia's strategic gains.

"This Administration has prioritized efforts to end conflicts in Africa, which undermine decades of investment in economic growth and global health security. All is not well there. The latest Ebola outbreak in Eastern Congo, now affecting the entire region, highlights how conflict and humanitarian crises abroad threaten the health and security of the American people here at home. I know the Department is working hard to protect us from this threat, and I look forward to hearing how the budget supports these efforts.

"And of course, the Administration has taken decisive action to protect American citizens from the threat posed by Iranian nuclear capabilities and ambitions. On behalf of the American people, thank you for your work. You and I have been through this before and we know how difficult it is.

"Change is hard, but it is also necessary. Your efforts to make the State Department more responsive to the needs of Americans will help us all meet the challenges of the 21st Century. I look forward to discussing how the budget will further those efforts.

"With that, I will turn to the Ranking Member for her remarks."

These remarks have been lightly edited for clarity. Witness testimony is available on foreign.senate.gov.

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