The Senate Foreign Relations Committee under the Democrats
A Democratic Congress and a Democratic President present a new approach to U.S. foreign policy. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in particular, will have a different approach to Congressional foreign policy efforts in the face of Democratic leadership. This article will briefly consider the leadership of Democratic Senator Menendez and the goals of the committee during the 116th U.S. Congress.
On February 4th, 2021 Senator Menendez released a statement about resuming his position as Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. He expressed interest in restoring the national security structures and diplomatic relations that he believes were “decimated” under the Trump Administration. He claims that he “will ensure that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reasserts its oversight role and actively legislates on U.S. foreign policy”.
The previous chairman, Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, had a tense working relationship with Senator Menendez because Risch broke the committee’s longtime tradition of comity. Comity is when both the chairman and the ranking member agree on the committee agenda. This is done to maintain bipartisanship in foreign policy efforts. Risch broke comity to call confirmation hearings for some of Trump’s controversial appointments to foreign affairs positions. Additionally, Risch held 40% fewer committee meetings than the historical average set by previous chairmen. Menendez has expressed his interest in bringing the committee back to a position that prioritizes policy-making, bipartisanship, and projecting American values through diplomatic relations.
While many on the left are thrilled about the revived dedication to rebuilding diplomatic relations, many have concerns regarding Menendez’s track record on the Iran nuclear deal and Israel-Palestine relations. The Senator opposed the negotiations that led to the Iran nuclear deal, joining Republican efforts to denounce Obama’s efforts to establish the agreement. Menendez holds right-wing views on Israel and Palestine often supporting Israel’s war on Gaza and opposing Palestinian statehood
While Democratic leadership on the committee may appear to signal smooth sailing for President Biden’s foreign policy agenda, that is not the case. Menendez already opposes certain actions taken by the Biden administration – specifically the retaliation bombing against Iran in Syria. Biden may face opposition from his fellow party members on the committee in addition to Republican opponents such as Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson who have been known to spread conspiracy theories about the President and his family.
What can be inferred about the future of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations? The Biden administration will have to work with staunch opponents to have committee support in their endeavours. Therefore, the administration may proceed to pursue policy goals without congressional support leaning on the executive powers of the office. The committee itself will likely continue to publicize the diplomatic relationships they are strengthening. Many of the legislative proposals brought before the committee are already focused on diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Nicaragua, Japan, and North Africa. Additionally, China, Taiwan, Israel, and Palestine will likely be the focus of the committee’s future legislative efforts. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee under Democratic leadership is not exactly focused on pushing the Democratic agenda, but rather on strengthening the Congressional oversight over foreign policy.
Image courtesy of Senator Bob Menendez, ©2017, some rights reserved.
