Member of Congress
James Risch
- Role
- Current Senator
- State
- ID
- Party
- Republican
Speeches
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-18
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-16
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-16
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
TRIBUTE TO BILL CARBERRY2025-12-16
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleagues Senator Mike Crapo and Representative Mike Simpson, to recognize Bill Carberry for his 24 years of dedicated service as airport manager of the Magic Valley Regional Airport. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Carberry earned his private pilot's license in 1985 and received a bachelor's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Prior to his tenure at the Magic Valley Regional Airport, Carberry worked at the Centennial Airport in Denver for 9 years, where he learned the skills that laid the foundation for his successful career. Since assuming the manager role in May 2001, Carberry guided the airport through many milestones and improvements that have benefited operations and the community. His leadership resulted in many important projects, including partnering with the Bureau of Land Management to develop a modern aviation wildland firefighting facility that supports local firefighting efforts. Carberry was also a key figure in transitioning the airport from servicing turboprop aircraft to regional jets, opening new travel destinations for Magic Valley residents, and introducing commercial air services. Carberry's efforts went beyond operational excellence. He has been a driving force in fostering stronger community connections, including through the annual Magic Valley Airshow, which featured three shows and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels this year. In his well-deserved retirement, Carberry is looking forward to new travels, gardening, and spending time with his family. It is with great pride that we recognize the achievements of Bill Carberry as the manager of the Magic Valley Regional Airport. Thank you, Bill, for your many years of service. We wish you all the best in your well-earned retirement.
RECOGNIZING ZERO DARK THIRTY COFFEE2025-12-16
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am proud to honor Zero Dark Thirty Coffee in Meridian, as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2025. Zero Dark Thirty Coffee began following founder Jarad Webb's battle with PTSD after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for 4 years and the Nampa Police Department for 16 years. Like many veterans, Jarad left military service with undiagnosed PTSD which, along with a series of surgeries, led to an opiate addiction that disconnected him from his family. Jarad decided to seek help and entered the Ada County Veterans Treatment Court to begin his healing process. There he met Brent Rowe, an Air Force and Army veteran with years of coffee-roasting experience. The pair bonded over their shared military experiences and a love for rich roasts. In 2020, Jarad and Brent launched Zero Dark Thirty Coffee, naming the company after the military term for ``way too early.'' They aspired to do more than just sell coffee; they wanted to create a business that would fund trauma recovery for veterans and first responders. To achieve this, Jarad ran their nonprofit, the ZDT Foundation, while Brent focused on roasting high-quality coffee beans to sell. Four years later, Brent remains a mentor and customer, and Jarad has immersed himself in the craft of coffee roasting. Zero Dark Thirty Coffee donates a large portion of its profit to support trauma recovery and ensure that no warrior suffers alone. The ZDT Foundation works closely with organizations such as Homeward for Heroes, the Taylor Foundation, Save A Warrior, and many others across the Treasure Valley to serve veterans, first responders, and their families. To date, they have helped over 50 local warriors reclaim their lives from PTSD and it all started with a single cup of coffee. Congratulations to Jarad Webb and all the employees at Zero Dark Thirty Coffee on being recognized as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2025. Your dedication to excellence makes Idaho proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 260 (Executive Session)2025-12-10
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, today, myself and my distinguished colleague from Montana, Senator Sheehy, rise in support of what is perhaps the most commonsense national security legislation that has come across the Senate floor this year. The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act will help to prevent even one American dollar from going to terrorist organizations like the Taliban. American military personnel spent years fighting the Taliban. Over 2,000 Americans were killed in Afghanistan, and more than 20,000 were wounded. It is a slap on the face of these veterans and their families if even one taxpayer dollar would flow to this organization. We need to know that the NGOs and the foreign nations that aid is provided to do not pass those dollars to the very organizations that look to harm us. The Taliban and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan try to erase women and girls from society. Christians and other minority groups face constant threats, including torture, kidnapping, and murder. Idahoans and all Americans deserve to know that not one of their hard-earned tax dollars is going to fund these heinous organizations. I am thankful that President Trump has cut off aid to Afghanistan in an attempt to stop money from flowing to the Taliban. This bill that is before us right now will ensure that Congress is made aware of any exploitation of our tax dollars by the Taliban or to the Taliban, and that the U.S. Government has a plan to address that. This vote is an easy, resounding yes. It is beyond understanding why anyone would be against this legislation, where we are trying to keep money out of the hands of terrorists--our money. If Democrats continue to block this bill, as they have done for months, I am committed--and I recommit--to moving it as quickly as I can through regular process in my Foreign Relations Committee. This bill should become law. I urge my Democrat colleagues to join us to ensure that no American tax dollars go to the Taliban. I yield to my distinguished colleague from Montana.
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I thank Senator Sheehy for those remarks. I think you are absolutely correct that Americans have no idea that some of their taxpayer dollars are actually winding up in the hands of terrorists. I know there will be people who say: Oh, we can't do this because some money needs to go in there to help women, children, babies--that sort of thing. What we have learned, if we have learned anything from what has happened in Gaza, is that when you have a terrorist organization that is in charge of a country, it is impossible to keep the money, food, or anything else that is sent in there out of the hands of terrorists. If you see the terrorists on TV, they always look well fed. They are well armed. They are doing well. And, at the same time, the babies in the country are starving to death, and the same thing with the women and young children. So with that, this legislation is designed exactly to do that, and that is, to keep every dollar out of the hands of these terrorists. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, as if in legislation session and notwithstanding rule XXII, the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 260 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3344 (Executive Session)2025-12-10
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. I come here, like my colleague, to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Since George Washington was President and he had to deal with a Congress, every President has had to deal with a Congress or Members of Congress who really wanted to be the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States. The Founding Fathers wisely said that that power should lie in the hands of the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States. Over many, many years, Presidents have used military force to protect the United States of America. Indeed, they take an oath that they will do so. Not only do they have the right to do so, they have the duty to do so. So what are we talking about here? Donald Trump has made the observation, as has every American, that we are losing tens of thousands of Americans, both young and old alike, to illegal drugs that are brought to this country by terrorist organizations mainly. As a result of that, we have done, as has been suggested, law enforcement activities within the United States, outside the United States. And we have picked away at it and picked away at it, and it simply has not been effective. What Donald Trump decided to do was to take appropriate military action against an invasion. That invasion comes from those terrorists. They invade the United States of America with boats loaded with this poison. It is distributed around the United States, and it kills tens of thousands of people every year. Now, let's assume that these terrorists, instead of using the drugs, were using explosives. If they loaded up one of these boats with explosives and it was headed for the United States of America and they had a distribution system in place, as they do for drugs, right now, and they were distributing these explosives around the United States and killed tens of thousands of people every year, there wouldn't be a peep from anyone about the use of force by the President of the United States to stop this. That is exactly what is going on here. There is no difference whatsoever. The President of the United States has ordered the troops, when they determine that there is a boatload of these drugs headed for the United States, to sink the boat and put it on the bottom of the ocean. Now, I am the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee and, obviously in this setting, I can't tell you the method or the means, but I can tell you that we have absolute, total, 100 percent proof that every single one of those boats that went down was loaded with drugs. So, as a result of that, the President of the United States has done good work so far in stemming the flow of these drugs to the United States. I have told the President face to face: Thank you, Mr. President, for what you are doing, and I want to thank you on behalf of the parents who will not have to early bury one of their children because of the drugs that were coming into this country. Instead those drugs are lying at the bottom of the ocean. Thank you, Mr. President, for what you did. Keep up the good work. Continue to stem the flow of these drugs coming into the United States. The President has the absolute right and, not only that, the absolute duty to do this. If you don't think so, take him to court and sue him. That is what you need to do if you think that is what is right. There is no court in the world that is going to stop him from using the military might of the United States to protect the United States, which is exactly what he is doing here. Based upon all that, I object.
Mr. RISCH. I will.
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I agreed to respond to questions relating to this. There is nothing in this that has anything to do with pardoning or has anything to do with the other country that you are talking about. So I am not going to engage in debate on that issue.
Mr. RISCH. Well, the last one wasn't very direct, but if the good Senator cares to have a direct question, I will be happy to do that.
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, Senator, first of all, that has been done over a number of years, and it has proven to be incredibly ineffectual. I have had lengthy discussions with the Secretary of State, who obviously is a person who has been focused on this area of the globe for a long time. And he says that they consider this, the terrorist groups consider this a cost of doing business, that kind of a boarding or what have you. But what has happened is, with those boats being sunk the way they are with the people who are in the process of launching this attack on the United States being killed, that has drastically--drastically-- lowered the number of boats that are coming to the United States loaded with drugs. This is the most effective way to do it. Bless you, Mr. President, for doing it. Keep it up. Continue to put these drugs on the bottom of the ocean.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-09
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-09
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-08
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-08
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-08
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION2025-12-08
Mr. RISCH
Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.