WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the subcommittee in charge of foreign assistance, met today with Susan Rice, the nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in his office. He released the following statement after the meeting:

“The United Nations is an imperfect institution, but it can be an important instrument for our engagement around the world. Now more than ever, we need to engage the global community, not retreat from it.  It is important to work cooperatively with our partners around the world to fight terrorism, combat global warming and address the worldwide economic crisis.

“Susan Rice is impressive and insightful, and I was glad to be able to meet with her today to discuss her vision for the U.S. role in the United Nations. We discussed U.S. foreign assistance – for which I have a great deal of interest in my capacity as the subcommittee chair – as well as United Nations reform, human rights and Darfur, among other issues. I look forward to getting further into these issues during her confirmation hearing before the committee.”

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