Keynote Speech by Senator Bob Menendez: Transatlantic Relations in a Changing World

Watch the full event video below.

Speaker

• U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Introduction

• Dr. Ian Lesser, Vice President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)

Please join us for a keynote speech and moderated conversation with Senator Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator for New Jersey and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Menendez will be speaking on the crucial role played by the transatlantic alliance in global affairs and the importance of preserving that partnership. 

Senator Bob Menendez’s story is a quintessential American story. He grew up the son of Cuban immigrants in a tenement building in Union City and has risen to become one of 100 United States Senators. He served as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 113^th Congress, one of the oldest and most revered Committees in the Senate, at a time when world affairs has a dramatic impact on our economy at home. He has earned a national reputation for his international leadership in the Senate, which pairs with his long-time reputation as a fighter for New Jersey families who puts their economic security ahead of powerful special interests.

The son of immigrants, Senator Menendez understands the importance of New Jersey’s Liberty State Park, in the shadow of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, at the gateway for millions of immigrants who came to the United States seeking the American Dream and a better life for them and their children. That’s why he was one of eight Senators who wrote and fought for comprehensive immigration reform legislation that passed the Senate in 2013 with an overwhelming bipartisan show of support. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he seeks to do globally what he has done in New Jersey – supporting the most vulnerable in society and lending a voice to those least able to speak for themselves. He has advocated for women and children struggling with oppressive poverty in Central American and Africa, and stood by democracy activists struggling to reform governments from Cuba to China to Russia. In addition, he has evoked a strong national security posture in the face of tyrannical leaders of Russia, Iran and Syria. He has led the Foreign Relations Committee in bipartisan efforts, reaching across the aisle in September 2013 to unanimously pass a resolution to allow the President to use military force in Syria.

Senator Menendez has been widely recognized for his leadership on promoting safe and healthy families. He serves on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and has championed increased consumer protection and corporate accountability, fairness in lending, affordable housing, and comprehensive approaches to community revitalization. He is also Chairman of the Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development where he has fought for smart, green development initiatives that make New Jersey a model for smart growth around the nation. As a member of the Finance Committee, he has sponsored legislation increasing access to health care, advocated for fairness in the tax code and pushed for trade initiatives to ensure America’s global competitiveness.

Senator Menendez was born on New Year’s Day, 1954. He received his B.A. from St. Peter's College in Jersey City and his law degree from Rutgers University. He currently lives in Paramus and has two children, Alicia and Robert.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The speech will be followed by a moderated conversation and Q&A. To RSVP or if you have any questions, please contact Pia Hüsch at [email protected].