ICYMI: At Halifax International Security Forum, Shaheen and Risch Speak to Importance of Maintaining Bipartisan Support for America’s Foreign Policy Values and Priorities
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the 16th annual Halifax International Security Forum with U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to meet with national security leaders from across the globe to discuss strategic cooperation on shared global security goals and reaffirm America’s commitment to a bipartisan approach to foreign policy issues. You can view photos from the forum here.
During the opening plenary, Shaheen said: “The reality is [that] support for Ukraine, support to address the pacing threat from China – those are strong bipartisan values that we agree on. So, I think the suggestion that things are going to change so dramatically is not entirely true because Congress is an independent branch of government, and right now there’s a lot of bipartisan support for the foreign policy values that... we’re talking about here at this forum.”
“We are in a new era in the world where you have what I call the no-goodniks on one side and the good guys on the other side,” said Risch. “I think the challenge of the 21st century is we’ve got to figure out how to live on this planet together without killing each other. Armed conflict is not a good resolution now, nor has it ever been. We ought to agree on some lines that we’re not going to cross.”
Along with Shaheen and Risch, the delegation included U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) as well as U.S. Congressman and Senator-elect Andy Kim (D-NJ).
Over the course of the weekend, the Members of Congress met with dozens of global security leaders and advocates, including U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair, Canadia Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Belarusian pro-democracy leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, Former President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen, Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Women, Peace and Security military fellows and more.
At a press conference with members of the delegation, Shaheen said: “I have found this to be a very productive conversation at the Halifax Forum. It’s been an opportunity for all of us, Senator Risch and I, to talk about the continued shared bipartisan values of our foreign policy... and to see a lot of world leaders and talk about the challenges we face.”
“We come to Halifax to talk about things that we agree on and how we can move forward on them… I always leave Halifax more confident than when I arrived,” said Risch.
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