Boise City Wire

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his disappointment after the committee's passage of four unqualified State Department nominees on March 20, 2024.

Risch criticized the decision to move forward with nominees who have significant vetting concerns, stating, "I am disappointed the chairman decided to move four nominees today that have significant vetting concerns. For months I have made my objections to these nominees known, as well as my desire for the president to nominate other, well-vetted nominees. That did not happen, so I will continue to object to these nominees moving forward."

Regarding the nomination of Robert Forden to be ambassador to Cambodia, Risch pointed out negligence on Forden's part, stating, "On Mr. Forden, this is a clear case of negligence – he did not uphold the most basic and important responsibilities of a senior leader in the Department."

Risch raised concerns about Margaret Taylor's nomination as the legal advisor at the State Department, highlighting State's refusal to share information about another individual's suspended security clearance. He emphasized, "my objection to her nomination is simple – this is about State’s refusal to share information about Mr. Malley’s suspended security clearance."

Dr. Michael Sfraga's nomination to be ambassador at large for Arctic affairs also faced criticism from Risch, who emphasized the importance of the role in countering foreign malign influence. Risch expressed his concerns about Dr. Sfraga's undisclosed interactions with Russian and Chinese entities, stating, "He failed to disclose any of this, and had to update his file three times after being confronted with this information."

Lastly, Erik Woodhouse's nomination to head the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the State Department was not spared from Risch's scrutiny. Risch, who played a pivotal role in the creation of the office, expressed his lack of confidence in Woodhouse, citing his failure to robustly defend the law in key sanctions issues.

In conclusion, Senator Risch's statements shed light on his objections to the nominations of these individuals and his concerns about their qualifications for the roles they have been nominated for.