Those in my line of work who are covering the transition zoo in Washington would do well not to stick a microphone under Sen. Jim Risch’s chin.
He’s not going to give great sound bites on President-elect Trump’s Cabinet selections – even the ones he might like. Here’s what he says about Rep. Elisa Stefanik of New York, Trump’s pick for United Nations ambassador: “She’ll be fine.”
Risch is more vocal about his support for Sen. Marco Rubio, a longtime friend and colleague on foreign relations, for secretary of state. Risch says he’s working with the leading Democrat of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to get Rubio confirmed on Day 1 of Trump’s second term.
“Next to (Sen.) Mike Crapo, Marco is the best friend I have here,” Risch says. “We know each other well and I know his thought process. He influences me in that regard, and I influence him.”
So, it’s a nice path forward for Risch, who soon will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Risch, who was the committee chair during Trump’s first term, has a long-standing working relationship with the president and one of his best friends on Capitol Hill will be the secretary of state.
But don’t expect him to comment about more controversial Cabinet selections – such as Pete Hegseth (defense), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (health and human services), or Linda McMahon (education). Risch has indicated that he will vote for all of the above, and more, if those nominations come to the floor. Until then, he’ll leave the vetting, fighting and mike drops to others.
“I have my hands full on my committee,” Risch says. Rubio and Stefanik are two high-profile confirmations before his committee, but there also are numerous confirmations through the state department and ambassadorships to almost 200 countries. Risch wants to see appointments in place early and immediately focus on the business at hand.
“It’s hard to put into words how much better I feel about (the new administration),” Risch says. “I watched what the (Biden) administration has done, and they fell so short in so many areas. The most obvious one was the disastrous way they handled the end of the Afghanistan war – clearly, clearly encouraging others to take advantage of that.”
Trump’s second presidency, Risch says, will be much like the first – with some twists. “It’s a foregone conclusion that Trump will seal off the border immediately and I think the burst of spending that Democrats did that caused the inflation – that’s going to stop, obviously. And you are going to see a more stable world because Trump is a strong leader and others are not willing to challenge us, or him.”
Risch, who has made some comprehensive recommendations for dealing with China, should have a friendly audience with President Trump.
“I don’t think so, I know so,” Risch says. “Biden was not interested in my views on that. The first thing we need to do (toward China) is to show strength. We also need to convince, not only the American people, but China, that we understand the challenges – whether it’s militarily, economically or culturally – and that we are up to meeting those challenges.”
Risch, an advocate for supporting Ukraine’s efforts against Russia, says that Trump may have the ultimate solution for ending that conflict.
“I saw him in the debate when he said he would end it on Day 1,” Risch says. “This is a man who has a habit of doing what he says and he’s probably one of the few people on the planet who has a relationship with the leaders of those countries. I’ve seen him use the most powerful weapon, the telephone, and he’s very effective. He feels that he can end this war, and I say give him the space to do it.”
There will be many other hot global issues coming before Risch’s committee, including continued support to Israel, which the senator enthusiastically supports. Iran, NATO and ongoing issues with Russia also will be part of more than a few high-level discussions.
This time, Risch – as the committee chair – will be working with a president that he supports, opposed to sending out releases and commentaries blasting the administration. So, let’s party like it’s … 2017.
“It’s déjà vu all over again,” says Risch.
Chuck Malloy is a long-time Idaho journalist and columnist. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com