Latest news with #Risch
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Risch urges 'top to bottom' USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said a thorough review of spending from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is warranted, following the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul the agency. USAID was an independent agency to provide impoverished countries aid and offer development assistance, but the agency was upended since February when President Donald Trump installed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to oversee the organization amid concerns that USAID did not advance U.S. core interests. Since then, the agency has faced layoffs and is being absorbed into the State Department. This increased scrutiny on USAID spending is valid, according to Risch. "The amount of money that we're spending on that has to be reviewed top to bottom," Risch said during an event Wednesday at the Washington-based think tank the Hudson Institute. 'Fired Me Illegally': Emotional Ex-usaid Employees Leave Building With Belongings After Mass Layoffs Risch said that several weeks into the Trump administration, he and others, including Rubio, evaluated a list of programs that detailed $3 million in funding for "promotion of democracy in Lower Slobovia." According to Risch, the description didn't provide enough information and items like these are totaling up to billions of dollars that must undergo review. Read On The Fox News App "Lower Slobovia" is a fictional place and a term used by Americans to describe an underdeveloped foreign country."We can do so much better, not only in how, how much money we spend, but how we spend it," Risch said. "So, if you say, well, we're eliminating this program, be careful you don't say, 'Oh, that means we're walking away from human rights.' Look, America is human rights. If America leads the way on human rights. We are the world standard on human rights. We have no intention of giving that position up." The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) targeted USAID in its push to eliminate wasteful spending. The agency came under fire for many funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to "advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities" and a $70,000 program for a "DEI musical" in Ireland. 'Hysteria': White House Shuts Down Concerns Over Usaid Document Purge As a result, Rubio announced on March 11 that the State Department completed a six-week review and would cancel more than 80% of USAID programs — cutting roughly 5,200 of USAID's 6,200 programs. Fox News Digital was the first to report later in March that the State Department planned to absorb the remaining operations and programs USAID runs so it would no longer function as an independent agency. The move means eliminating thousands of staff members in an attempt to enhance the existing, "life-saving" foreign assistance programs, according to a State Department memo that Fox News Digital obtained. Next Us National Security Advisor? Here's Whom Trump Might Pick To Replace Waltz "Foreign assistance done right can advance our national interests, protect our borders, and strengthen our partnerships with key allies," Rubio said in a March statement to Fox News Digital. "Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high." "We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens," Rubio said. "We are continuing essential lifesaving programs and making strategic investments that strengthen our partners and our own country." Meanwhile, Democrats slammed the restructuring of the agency, labeling the move "illegal." "Donald Trump and Elon Musk's destruction and dismantling of USAID is not only disastrous foreign policy and counter to our national security interests; it is plainly illegal," the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said in a statement in March. "Congress wrote a law establishing USAID as an independent agency with its own appropriation, and only Congress can eliminate it."Original article source: Risch urges 'top to bottom' USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Key GOP senator says Russia must be ejected from Syria
The Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Wednesday Russia must be ejected from Syria, warning that if Moscow maintains a presence in the country it will allow for Iran's eventual reentry. Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), speaking during a panel at the Hudson Institute, called for remaining Russian forces in Syria to be kicked out of the country, going further than conditions laid out by the Trump administration for engagement with the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who deposed long-time dictator Bashar Assad in December. 'The region cannot tolerate Moscow having access to the Mediterranean, to threaten the United States, NATO or other allies, Russia and Iran were complicit in Assad's atrocities,' Risch said in a speech at the conservative think tank. 'If we allow Russia to remain in Syria, it's only a matter of time until it becomes a back door for Iran to return again.' President Trump announced last month that he was lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria. The move came following the administration presenting the new Syrian authorities with a list of conditions to trigger sanctions relief, such as eliminating Assad's chemical weapons stockpile, cooperating with the U.S. on counterterrorism, and working to identify, find and return Americans disappeared in the country. But not included in that list was kicking Russia out of the country. While Russia has scaled down its presence in Syria since Assad's ousting, the Kremlin is working to maintain its military bases in the country. Risch said the U.S. needs to proceed with caution with the new the al-Sharaa government in Syria. Syria's new president is a U.S.-designated terrorist who had ties with Al Qaeda and ISIS, although he has since disavowed those terrorist groups. 'I see tremendous opportunity for Syria. Syria was historically and can again be a great and respected country. However, we need to ensure that with increased cooperation comes greater security for the American people,' Risch said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Key GOP senator says Russia must be ejected from Syria
The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday said Russia must be ejected from Syria, warning that if Moscow maintains a presence in the country it will allow for Iran's eventual reentry. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), speaking during a panel at the Hudson Institute, called for remaining Russian forces in Syria to be kicked out of the country, going further than conditions laid out by the Trump administration for engagement with the government of Ahmed al Sharaa, who deposed long-time dictator Bashar al Assad in December. 'The region cannot tolerate Moscow having access to the Mediterranean, to threaten the United States, NATO or other allies, Russia and Iran were complicit in Assad's atrocities,' Risch said in a speech at the conservative think tank. 'If we allow Russia to remain in Syria, it's only a matter of time until it becomes a back door for Iran to return again.' President Trump announced last month that he was lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria. The move came following the administration presenting the new Syrian authorities with a list of conditions to trigger sanctions relief, such as eliminating Assad's chemical weapons stockpile, cooperating with the U.S. on counterterrorism, working to identify, find and return Americans disappeared in the country, among other priorities. But not included in that list was kicking Russia out of the country. While Russia has scaled down its presence in Syria since Assad's ousting, the Kremlin is working to maintain its military bases in the country. Risch said the U.S. needs to proceed with caution with the new the al-Sharaa government in Syria. Syria's new president is a U.S.-designated terrorist who had ties with Al Qaeda and ISIS, although he has since disavowed those terrorist groups. 'I see tremendous opportunity for Syria. Syria was historically and can again be a great and respected country. However, we need to ensure that with increased cooperation comes greater security for the American people,' Risch said.
Politico
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
‘It's wild': State Department, others struggle to comprehend Chinese visa plan
People both inside and outside the State Department were struggling Thursday to understand how a new plan to revoke Chinese students' visas will work — and whether it will end up being a blanket ban on Chinese nationals studying in the United States. While the administration could begin voiding visas imminently, a State Department official familiar with consular issues, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said embassies had yet to receive official instructions on how to implement the plan, which also includes revising visa criteria to increase scrutiny of future applicants from China and Hong Kong. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Wednesday that the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security will 'aggressively revoke' visas for Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in 'critical fields.' But that isn't easy to put into practice, and the manner in which it is done will say a lot about the Trump administration's ultimate goals. Reviewing all Chinese student visas could be a daunting task for the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. There were around 277,000 Chinese students in the United States during the 2023 to 2024 school term, government data shows. 'It's wild,' said one State Department official involved in the discussions about how to implement the directives. 'It's going to be a massive headache for us.' The person, and others, were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal processes. The administration may be hoping the threat alone will prompt students to reconsider attending U.S. institutions, in the same way that it has encouraged undocumented migrants to self-deport. 'That's the only reason why you would put that out there — is because you want the Chinese families who are impacted potentially by this to know,' said Carl Risch, who was assistant secretary of State for consular affairs during the first Trump administration. 'And you want to terrify them.' Risch said it's likely the administration doesn't yet know who the policy would apply to, but that even when guidelines are established, the general public still won't know because the State Department doesn't usually advertise new vetting standards. 'You're going to implement it inside the bureau, change the guidance for adjudicating officers — often this information isn't publicly available,' said Risch, who's now a partner at the Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli and Pratt law firm. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to give details on the visa review, including how many Chinese students would be affected, the timing of the review, or the specific merits of how ties to the CCP would be assessed. 'We don't give details about what our methods are regarding visas,' she told reporters Thursday, adding 'we're not going to speculate on where this would go.' Simply losing a student visa probably would not make a student ineligible to continue their studies on a college campus, though it could make it impossible for them to leave the U.S. without being effectively locked out. However, if Immigration and Customs Enforcement terminates a student's record in its Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, it would likely force universities to bar them from continuing to attend and could be a step toward deportation proceedings. ICE's power to quickly terminate students' SEVIS records is the subject of intense ongoing litigation, and a federal judge in California last week issued a nationwide injunction preventing the administration from imposing 'adverse legal effect' on those whose SEVIS records have been terminated. John Sandweg, a former head of ICE under the Obama administration, said Rubio's reference in his Wednesday statement to DHS and State working together on visa reviews indicates that the Trump administration would 'do both.' Much of the initial vetting of Chinese students could be done via software maintained by ICE, CBP and the State Department, Sandweg said. But the CCP cases will require analysts to investigate further, he said. Some students would leave while others, he said, might try to claim asylum or disappear in the U.S., he argued. Chinese students outside of the U.S. who are denied visas won't have much chance to protest the decision but those in the country do have the right to challenge their visa revocations in the court system, Sandweg said. The policy could implicate tens of thousands of students and could potentially become a blanket ban on Chinese students on American campuses depending on how it is enforced. Rick Waters, the inaugural coordinator of the State Department's China House, said he is skeptical the U.S. can 'surgically go after' parts of the Chinese student population because it would stretch the time and resources of visa-issuing consular officers. 'When we talk about the question of [determining CCP] connections, that's not something that, in my view, is workable. Even membership in the Party is not something people put on their social media,' Waters said. 'So whatever they do is going to be just changing the incentive structure for visa officers where they just reject a lot more people based on very arbitrary criteria.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘A massive headache': State Department tries to figure out how to handle Chinese student visa reviews
People both inside and outside the State Department were struggling Thursday to understand how a new plan to revoke Chinese students' visas will work — and whether it will end up being a blanket ban on Chinese nationals studying in the United States. While the administration could begin voiding visas imminently, a State Department official familiar with consular issues, granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said embassies had yet to receive official instructions on how to implement the plan, which also includes revising visa criteria to increase scrutiny of future applicants from China and Hong Kong. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Wednesday that the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security will 'aggressively revoke' visas for Chinese students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in 'critical fields.' But that isn't easy to put into practice, and the manner in which it is done will say a lot about the Trump administration's ultimate goals. Reviewing all Chinese student visas could be a daunting task for the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. There were around 277,000 Chinese students in the United States during the 2023 to 2024 school term, government data shows. 'It's wild,' said one State Department official involved in the discussions about how to implement the directives. 'It's going to be a massive headache for us.' The person, and others, were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal processes. The administration may be hoping the threat alone will prompt students to reconsider attending U.S. institutions, in the same way that it has encouraged undocumented migrants to self-deport. 'That's the only reason why you would put that out there — is because you want the Chinese families who are impacted potentially by this to know,' said Carl Risch, who was assistant secretary of State for consular affairs during the first Trump administration. 'And you want to terrify them.' Risch said it's likely the administration doesn't yet know who the policy would apply to, but that even when guidelines are established, the general public still won't know because the State Department doesn't usually advertise new vetting standards. 'You're going to implement it inside the bureau, change the guidance for adjudicating officers — often this information isn't publicly available,' said Risch, who's now a partner at the Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli and Pratt law firm. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to give details on the visa review, including how many Chinese students would be affected, the timing of the review, or the specific merits of how ties to the CCP would be assessed. 'We don't give details about what our methods are regarding visas,' she told reporters Thursday, adding 'we're not going to speculate on where this would go.' Simply losing a student visa probably would not make a student ineligible to continue their studies on a college campus, though it could make it impossible for them to leave the U.S. without being effectively locked out. However, if Immigration and Customs Enforcement terminates a student's record in its Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, it would likely force universities to bar them from continuing to attend and could be a step toward deportation proceedings. ICE's power to quickly terminate students' SEVIS records is the subject of intense ongoing litigation, and a federal judge in California last week issued a nationwide injunction preventing the administration from imposing 'adverse legal effect' on those whose SEVIS records have been terminated. John Sandweg, a former head of ICE under the Obama administration, said Rubio's reference in his Wednesday statement to DHS and State working together on visa reviews indicates that the Trump administration would 'do both.' Much of the initial vetting of Chinese students could be done via software maintained by ICE, CBP and the State Department, Sandweg said. But the CCP cases will require analysts to investigate further, he said. Some students would leave while others, he said, might try to claim asylum or disappear in the U.S., he argued. Chinese students outside of the U.S. who are denied visas won't have much chance to protest the decision but those in the country do have the right to challenge their visa revocations in the court system, Sandweg said. The policy could implicate tens of thousands of students and could potentially become a blanket ban on Chinese students on American campuses depending on how it is enforced. Rick Waters, the inaugural coordinator of the State Department's China House, said he is skeptical the U.S. can 'surgically go after' parts of the Chinese student population because it would stretch the time and resources of visa-issuing consular officers. 'When we talk about the question of [determining CCP] connections, that's not something that, in my view, is workable. Even membership in the Party is not something people put on their social media,' Waters said. 'So whatever they do is going to be just changing the incentive structure for visa officers where they just reject a lot more people based on very arbitrary criteria.' Nahal Toosi, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
