RANKING MEMBER RISCH OPENING STATEMENT AT NOMINATIONS HEARING FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR DRL, AMBASSADOR TO TIMOR-LESTE, AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee nominations hearing. The nominees included Dr. Dafna Hochman Rand to be assistant secretary of State for democracy, human rights, and labor, Donna Ann Welton to be ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and Stephan A. Lang to be U.S. coordinator for international communications and information policy.

Ranking Member Risch gave the following remarks:

"Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that.

"Let me begin with the position of assistant secretary of State ...