Chairman Risch Opening Statement at Nomination 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 nomination hearing. Witnesses included Sergio Gor to be ambassador to India, Herschel Walker to be ambassador to the Bahamas, Andrew Veprek to be assistant secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, and James Holtsnider to be ambassador to Jordan.

Chairman Risch gave the following remarks:

"Today, being the day that it is, I would like to take a moment to remember the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack and their families. This moment changed our country forever; we will never forget the lives lost and irreversibly altered that day. Please join me in a brief moment of silence in honor of the victims of September 11^th.

"With that we will turn to our agenda, I have a few opening remarks to make and then I'll yield to Senator Shaheen.

"First of all, I want to thank the nominees here today and importantly, their families for being with us here today, for your willingness to serve. There is a sacrifice involved in that and we're certainly appreciative that you're willing to make that sacrifice for your country.

"Mr. Veprek, as assistant secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration, you will work alongside President Trump and Secretary Rubio to secure our borders and make American foreign aid targeted and in service of our interests. I look forward to learning more about these plans, and about the Bureau's new organizational structure, which will include elements of the former Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance at USAID.

"As part of the much-needed State Department reorganization, I hope you will work to ensure that PRM delivers assistance with a "project and needs-based approach". In previous administrations, PRM has contributed almost exclusively to UN agencies to deliver aid. And we all know the UN is certainly not the most effective way to make change or help those in need.

"I look forward to hearing your plans to keep America safe while getting aid to the places it is needed and where it is most advantageous to the U.S.

"Mr. Walker, as President Trump's nominee for ambassador to the Bahamas, you would be the first U.S. ambassador in the country since 2011. President Trump and Secretary Rubio understand that the Bahamas is an important economic and security partner of the United States and will work to improve this relationship. After all, the Bahamas is just 50 miles from U.S. shores and shares our democratic values, and our economic and security interests.

"As China looks to increase its foothold in the Bahamas- through its operation of the Freeport Container Terminal, its outsized diplomatic presence, and Huawei's near-monopoly of local telecom networks- we must push back. You have your work cut out for you. I hope you can help us understand how you'd go about strengthening our bilateral relations with the Bahamas.

"Mr. Gor, as you know, India is a key partner, and our two countries have many opportunities to strengthen our cooperation on defense, technology, and trade. I really can't add much to what Secretary Rubio said either about you or about the relationship with India, both are incredibly important. As partners in the Quad, India and the U.S. play an important role in maintaining a free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

"While our relationship has its frictions, we cannot ignore that our countries are strategically aligned on the need to counter China's unfair economic practices and malign influence in the region. At the same time, you must balance those strategic priorities with difficult conversations. India's close energy relationship with our adversary, Russia, is incredibly troubling.

"President Trump has taken action to address India's dangerous purchases of Russian oil, and I hope you will double down on these efforts, making clear to your Indian counterparts that the United States will not tolerate support for Putin's war machine.

"Mr. Holtsnider, the United States and Jordan have a strong, long-standing relationship guided by our shared goal of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Middle East. His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan is a close friend of this committee and its members - and there isn't any world leader that meets with us more frequently.

"Last fall, our ally Israel and Jordan celebrated 30 years of peace, but this relationship is facing strong headwinds. Anti-Israeli sentiment among Jordanians is on this rise, and this sentiment has only deepened in the years since Hamas' brutal October 7 terror attack.

"You've had a distinguished career of service across the Middle East in both the State Department and the Marine Corps. As Ambassador, it will be your responsibility to look out for Americans in Jordan, and to work with your counterparts to combat extremism and promote stability in the region. I look forward to hearing your plans to do so.

"Thank you again to all our nominees here today and for your willingness to serve. With that, the distinguished ranking member, Senator Shaheen."

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

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