Robert Menendez (; born January 1, 1954) is an American former politician and lawyer who represented

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

from 2006 until his resignation in 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, he also represented New Jersey's 13th congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1993 to 2006. His political career ended after he was convicted in a

political corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influen ...

case in 2024, making him the first sitting member of Congress convicted of conspiracy to act as a

foreign agent A foreign agent is any person or entity actively carrying out the interests of a foreign principal while located in another host country, generally outside the Diplomatic immunity, protections offered to those working in their official capacity fo ...

. In 1974, Menendez was elected to the Union City School District's Board of Education. He studied political science at

Saint Peter's University Saint Peter's University is a private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. Founded as Saint Peter's College in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, the university offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than ...

and graduated from

Rutgers Law School Rutgers Law School is the law school of Rutgers University, with classrooms in Newark and Camden, New Jersey. It is the largest public law school and the 10th largest law school, overall, in the United States. Each class in the three-year J.D. pr ...

. In 1986, he was elected mayor of Union City. While continuing to serve as mayor, he was elected in 1988 to represent the state's 33rd district in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

and moved to the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

in 1991 upon winning the

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

for the 33rd Senate district. The next year, Menendez won a seat in the House of Representatives. In January 2006, Menendez was appointed by Governor

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

to fill his vacated Senate seat. He was elected to a full six-year term in November and reelected in

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

. Menendez chaired the

United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of the United States Senate, U.S. Senate charged with leading Foreign policy of the United States, foreign-policy legi ...

from 2013 to 2015 and from 2021 to 2023. Menendez was indicted on federal

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

charges in 2015; the jury was unable to reach a verdict, and the charges were dropped in 2018. In 2018, the

United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics is a Select or special committee (United States Congress), select committee of the United States Senate charged with dealing with matters related to senatorial ethics. It is also commonly referred to ...

"severely admonished" Menendez for accepting gifts from donor Salomon Melgen without obtaining committee approval, failing to disclose certain gifts, and using his position as a senator to advance Melgen's interests. In September 2023, Menendez was again indicted on federal corruption charges that he aided and provided sensitive information to the government of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. The following month, he was charged with conspiracy to act as a

of the Egyptian government for accepting bribes in exchange for promoting Egypt's opposition to the

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD or TaIHiGe; , , ), formerly known as the Millennium Dam and sometimes referred to as the Hidase Dam (, ), is a gravity dam on the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. The dam is in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region ...

(GERD) on the

Blue Nile The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It travels for approximately through Ethiopia and Sudan. Along with the White Nile, it is one of the two major Tributary, tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 85.6% of the wa ...

and for trying to convince the

U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...

to adopt Egypt's stance on this issue. A superseding indictment in January 2024 accused Menendez of also working for the government of

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

. In March, Menendez was indicted for

obstruction of justice In United States jurisdictions, obstruction of justice refers to a number of offenses that involve unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investiga ...

. In July, a jury found him guilty of all charges. Menendez resigned from the Senate in August and was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment in January 2025. He has maintained his innocence and vowed to appeal the verdict.

Early life

Menendez was born on January 1, 1954, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to Cuban

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

who had left Cuba a few months earlier, in 1953. His father, Mario Menéndez, was a carpenter, and his mother, Evangelina, was a

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notable d ...

. The family subsequently moved to New Jersey, where he grew up in an apartment in Union City. He attended Union Hill High School, where his speech teacher, Gail Harper, helped him develop as a public speaker. Menendez has said, "My mother and Miss Harper made me understand the power of education, what it means to put a premium on learning and working hard.""Menendez, Robert, (1954 – )"
. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 23, 2012. While at Union Hill, Menendez became the student body president. His father, Mario Menéndez, was reportedly a "compulsive gambler" who died by suicide on June 1, 1978, after deciding not to pay gambling debts. Menendez became the first in his family to go to college, attending Saint Peter's College in

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

,"Biography"
. Robert Menendez-US Senator for New Jersey.

. Retrieved January 5, 2014."Spotlight on: Hon. Esther Salas '94 – First Latina on New Jersey District Court"
. Rutgers School of Law at Rutgers University, Newark. Retrieved January 5, 2014. where he was a member of the Lambda Theta Phi fraternity. He graduated with a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

in political science and earned his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from

in 1979. Menendez was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1980 and became a lawyer in private practice.

Early political career

Union City politics (19741992)

At the start of his career, Menendez was an aide to Union City mayor and state senator William V. Musto. In 1974, he was elected to the Union City Board of Education, the youngest candidate ever to win election to the board. In 1982, he unsuccessfully challenged Musto for mayor. In the 1984 presidential election and 1985 state elections for

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

and

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

, the Republican Party carried

Hudson County Hudson County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county in the U.S. state of New Jersey, its smallest and most densely populated. Lying in the northeast of the state and on the west bank of the North River (Hudson River), Hudson River, the No ...

, with crucial support from

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

mayor Gerald McCann. To build on their gains in the urban, normally Democratic county, Republicans made a significant investment in the 1986 municipal elections. In Union City, Republicans funded an "Alliance Civic Association" (ACA) ticket for city council, led by Republican Assemblyman Ronald Dario. His running mates were two Republicans, Manny Alcobar and Charles Velli, and two Democrats, Menendez and future mayor Bruce Walter. The ACA swept the council elections with 57% of the vote, beating the reform slate "Transformation '86" and the incumbent "Union City Together" ticket. The Together party, which included Musto's wife, Commissioner Rhyta Musto, represented the remnants of Musto's political machine. Although Republicans had formed and funded the ACA ticket on the premise that the new council would elect Dario mayor, Menendez and Walter convinced Alcobar to switch his vote to Menendez.

New Jersey legislature (19871992)

In November 1987, Menendez was elected to represent New Jersey's 33rd district in the

. He also continued to serve as mayor until 1992. He held both offices until March 1991, when he moved from the Assembly to the

upon winning the special election following the death of Christopher Jackman.

U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2006)

Elections

In 1992, incumbent Democratic U.S. Congressman Frank Guarini, of New Jersey's 14th congressional district, retired after redistricting. The district had been renumbered as the 13th district and reconfigured as a Latino-majority district. Menendez decided to run in the primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic district—and defeated Robert Haney Jr., 68%–32%. He defeated

New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts: under Article Six of the State Consti ...

Judge Fred J. Theemling Jr. in the general election with 64% of the vote. After that, he was reelected every two years with at least 71% of the vote until he was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2006.

Tenure

Menendez, who was described as very close to Republicans on foreign policy, voted for the failed

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

Resolution, authorizing the use of military force against

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

in the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...

. He was an early advocate of preventing

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

from obtaining nuclear capabilities, sponsoring the Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998, which passed the House but failed to pass the Senate. Robert Menendez official photo

Menendez voted for

Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF; , ) is a joint resolution of the United States Congress which became law on September 18, 2001, authorizing the use of the United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the September ...

, authorizing the President to use military force in Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2002, Menendez voted against the

Iraq Resolution The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002,United Nations Reform Act of 2005, cutting U.S. funding to the U.N. by 50% over three years, and sponsored the Tsunami Orphans and Unaccompanied Children Act of 2005 to assist victims of the

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the sci ...

. Menendez voted for the PATRIOT Act in 2001, and in 2006 for its reauthorization. In the 105th Congress, Menendez voted for the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, repealing provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 that limited

investment banks Investment banking is an advisory-based financial service for institutional investors, corporations, governments, and similar clients. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in raising financial capital by und ...

from acquiring

insurance companies Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...

or other

commercial banks A commercial bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit (finance), deposits from the public and gives loans for the purposes of consumption and investment to make a Profit (economics), profit. It can also refer to a bank or a division o ...

, and voted for the

Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 (CFMA) is a United States federal law that ensures that Over-the-counter (finance), over-the-counter (OTC) Derivative (finance), derivatives remained Financial regulation, unregulated. Commodity Ex ...

. After the 2001

Enron scandal The Enron scandal was an accounting scandal sparked by American energy company Enron, Enron Corporation filing for bankruptcy after news of widespread internal fraud became public in October 2001, which led to the dissolution of its accounting ...

, Menendez voted with 333 other House members for the

Sarbanes–Oxley Act The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that mandates certain practices in financial record keeping and reporting for corporations. The act, , also known as the "Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protectio ...

. Although he had sometimes been portrayed as the political boss of

, he strongly dislikes this appellation, particularly because, according to an anonymous close source quoted in the December 11, 2005 '' Union City Reporter'', "there is no boss of Hudson County". According to a 2005 ''New York Times'' op-ed, "Since entering politics as a corruption-fighting mayor of Union City, N.J., Mr. Menendez has become a proponent of business as usual. He has long been an entrenched de facto leader of the Hudson County Democratic machine." In September 2006, just a few weeks before the 2006 Senate elections, the

U.S. Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

's Office in New Jersey, headed by

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

, began investigating a rental deal with North Hudson Community Action Corporation, subpoenaing records from them. Some Democrats criticized the investigation, particularly the timing of the investigation and news leaks, as politically motivated. No charges were brought and the case was closed in 2011 after Christie became the governor of New Jersey.

U.S. Senate (2006–2024)

In January 2006, Governor

appointed Menendez to fill the remaining year in Corzine's Senate term, from which Corzine resigned after being elected

governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

two months before. While several others had been mentioned, Menendez was the early favorite among pundits for Governor-elect Corzine's choice. Corzine's decision to appoint Menendez got the support of several Latino groups, including the

National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) is the 501(c)(4) non-partisan leadership organization of the nation's more than 7,000 Latino elected and appointed Latino public officials in the United States. NALEO is ...

. Menendez was the sixth Latino to serve in the United States Senate. In 2015, Menendez was ranked No. 1 on ''

The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' was a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain was the ''Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983. The chain stopped publication on ...

''s annual Power List of the "Fifty Most Powerful Political Figures in

Elections

1996

When incumbent U.S. Senator

Bill Bradley William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was a United States Senate, United States senator from New ...

decided to retire in August 1995, Menendez made known his intention to run in the 1996 election for the seat, but eventually dropped out of the race and endorsed

Robert Torricelli Robert Guy Torricelli (born August 27, 1951) is an American attorney and former politician. A Democrat, Torricelli served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 9th district from 1983 to 1997 and as a United States ...

, the Democrat representing

New Jersey's 9th congressional district New Jersey's 9th congressional district is an urban congressional district in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is currently represented in Congress by United States Democratic Party, Democrat Nellie Pou following the death of Bill Pascrell in 2 ...

. Similarly, in 1999, when the state's other U.S. Senator,

Frank Lautenberg Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (; January 23, 1924 June 3, 2013) was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician who served as United States Senator from New Jersey from 1982 to 2001, and again from 2003 until his death in 2013. He was ori ...

, announced his planned retirement, Menendez again decided not to run, with the Democratic nomination for the 2000 race going to

Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...

CEO

, who won the

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

2006

In the midterm elections held on November 7, near the end of his one-year appointment, Menendez ran to retain his Senate seat. He defeated Republican Thomas Kean Jr., incumbent minority whip in the

, and son of former state governor

Thomas Kean Thomas Howard Kean ( ; born April 21, 1935) is an American politician, statesman, and academic administrator from the state of New Jersey. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Kean served two terms as the 48th governor of New Jersey f ...

, with 53% of the vote to Kean's 45%. Menendez was endorsed by several newspapers including ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

'', ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'', and ''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

''.

Robert Menendez official Senate portrait

2012

Menendez ran for reelection to a second full term and defeated Republican Joe Kyrillos on November 6, with 58% of the vote to Kyrillos's 39%.

2018

Menendez ran for reelection to a third full term and defeated Republican Bob Hugin on November 6, with 54% of the vote to Hugin's 42%.

2024

In January 2024, Menendez was charged with corruption for promoting the interests of

while receiving various illicit gifts such as cash, gold bars, and a

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

automobile. On March 21, he announced that he would not run in the Democratic primary due to his indictment on federal corruption charges. He did not rule out running as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

. On June 3, Menendez officially filed to run as an independent. He told the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

that despite running as an independent he would not leave the Democratic Party. But on July 23, upon his criminal conviction, Menendez announced his resignation from the Senate altogether.

Committee assignments

As of July 2019, Menendez serves on the

United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (formerly the Committee on Banking and Currency), also known as the Senate Banking Committee, has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, ...

; the

United States Senate Committee on Finance The United States Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generall ...

; and the

. * Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs * Committee on Finance *

Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign ai ...

(suspended chair)

Caucus memberships

* Armenian Caucus * Congressional Autism Caucus * Senate Taiwan Caucus * International Conservation Caucus * Human Rights Caucus * Narcotics Abuse and Control Caucus * Friends of the Irish National Caucus *

Afterschool Caucuses The Afterschool Caucuses are bipartisan caucuses in the United States Congress established to build support for afterschool programs and increase resources for afterschool care. Senators Lisa Murkowski ( R- AK) and Tina Smith ( D- MN) chair the Se ...

Congressional Hispanic Caucus The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is an organization of 38 Democratic members of the United States Congress of Hispanic and Latino descent. The Caucus focuses on issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States. The CHC was fo ...

Tenure

On January 6, 2021, Menendez was participating in the certification of the

2021 United States Electoral College vote count The count of the United States Electoral College, Electoral College ballots during a Joint session of the United States Congress, joint session of the 117th United States Congress, pursuant to the Electoral Count Act, on January 6–7, 2021, ...

when Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. After rioters breached the Capitol, he was evacuated to an undisclosed location with other senators. He called the attack "anarchy" and "a sad day for our democracy". After the Capitol was secure and Congress reconvened, Menendez voted to certify the election. Menendez blamed Trump and Republicans who supported Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud for inciting the attack. He also called for an investigation into

white supremacy White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

in the military.

Immigration

Menendez is an "aggressive advocate" of

immigration reform Immigration reform is change to the current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, ''reform'' means "to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses". In the political sense, "immigratio ...

, calling it the "civil rights issue of our time". He has introduced multiple pieces of legislation in attempts to overhaul what he calls our "failed immigration system". Menendez introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011, but it died in the

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the United States Departm ...

. In 2009, he introduced the Orphans, Widows, and Widowers Protection Act, granting a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented widowers and orphans of deceased U.S. citizens. Menendez is a strong supporter of the

DREAM Act The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, is a United States legislative proposal that would grant temporary conditional residency, with the right to work, for illegal immigrants who entered the Unite ...

, saying, "Children should not be punished for the actions of their parents. These kids have grown up as Americans, worked hard in school and now they want to serve our country in the military or pursue a college education. This is the only home many of them have known and they should be encouraged to pursue the American dream." He voted for the DREAM Act in 2007 and was a cosponsor along with 31 other senators in the Act's failed passage in 2010. Menendez voted against denying legal status to illegal immigrants convicted of domestic violence, crimes against children and crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, but voted to establish a six-month to 20-year ban for undocumented immigrants seeking citizenship who had been convicted for the same crimes along with obstruction of justice, human trafficking and the participation of criminal gang activity. Menendez supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 and

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (full name: Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 ()) was a bill discussed in the 110th United States Congress that would have provided legal status and a path t ...

, voting for both bills. He voted against Senate Amendment 1151, declaring English the national language of the

Federal government of the United States The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...

. He voted to continue federal funding for declared "sanctuary cities". He voted for the

Secure Fence Act of 2006 The Secure Fence Act of 2006 (), also labelled H.R. 6061, is an act of the United States Congress which authorized and partially funded the construction of 700 miles (1,125 km) of fencing along the Mexican border. The Act was signed into ...

, building 700 miles (1,100 km) of physical barriers and expanding surveillance at the Mexico–U.S. border, and supported Senate Amendment 4775, which would have appropriated $1.8 billion for the construction of of triple-layered fencing, and of vehicle barriers along parts of the Southwest. On January 28, 2013, Menendez was a member of a bipartisan group of eight senators that announced principles for comprehensive

(CIR). In 2014 the

National Council of La Raza UnidosUS, formerly National Council of La Raza (NCLR) ( La Raza), is the United States's largest Latino nonprofit advocacy organization. It advocates in favor of progressive public policy changes including immigration reform, a path to citize ...

(America's largest Latino advocacy organization) recognized Menendez for his work in supporting immigration reform as a member of the "Gang of Eight".

Agriculture

In June 2019, Menendez and 18 other Democratic senators sent

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong a letter requesting that she investigate USDA instances of retaliation and political decision-making and asserted that not conducting an investigation would mean these "actions could be perceived as a part of this administration's broader pattern of not only discounting the value of federal employees, but suppressing, undermining, discounting, and wholesale ignoring scientific data produced by their own qualified scientists".

Disaster relief

In April 2018, Menendez was one of five Democratic senators to sign a letter to

FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

administrator Brock Long calling on FEMA to enter an agreement with the

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...

that would "stand up the Disaster Housing Assistance Program and address the medium- and longer-term housing needs" of evacuees of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...

. The senators asserted that "FEMA's refusal to use the tools at its disposal, including DHAP, to help these survivors is puzzling – and profoundly troubling" and that hundreds of hurricane survivors were susceptible to being left homeless in the event that FEMA and HUD continued not to work together.

Environment

Menendez introduced legislation that would incentivize the conversion of vehicles to run on

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

; the bill did not make it out of committee in its first incarnation and failed to receive 60 votes required to pass in 2012. In February 2019, in response to reports of the EPA intending to decide against setting drinking water limits for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and

perfluorooctanoic acid Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA; conjugate acid, conjugate base perfluorooctanoate; also known colloquially as C8, from its chemical formula C8HF15O2) is a perfluorinated carboxylic acid produced and used worldwide as an industrial surfactant in ch ...

(PFOA) as part of an upcoming national strategy to manage the aforementioned class of chemicals, Menendez was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler calling on the agency "to develop enforceable federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, as well as institute immediate actions to protect the public from contamination from additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)". In June 2019, Menendez was one of 44 senators to introduce the International Climate Accountability Act, legislation that would prevent President Trump from using funds in an attempt to withdraw from the

Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement (also called the Paris Accords or Paris Climate Accords) is an international treaty on climate change that was signed in 2016. The treaty covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The Paris Agreement was ...

and directing the Trump administration to develop instead a strategic plan for the United States that would allow it to meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement.

Education

Menendez sponsored the Student Non-Discrimination Act, expanding

Title IX Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receiv ...

of the Education Amendments Act to LGBT students, and the Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2011, which would also amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. He voted for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, saying, "When someone is harassed, assaulted or killed simply because of the type of person they are, it's a crime against an entire community and our nation's values." In 2012, Menendez received a 94% rating from the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...

. During a press conference about the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, Menendez claimed that New Jersey was facing a $10.5 billion shortfall in its 2012 fiscal budget that would lead to cuts in state spending on education. PolitiFact rated this statement "false" because the 2012 budget was balanced and increased education funding.

LGBT policy

Menendez voted for the

Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limitin ...

(DOMA) as a congressman in 1996; on December 18, 2011, he came out in support of, and co-sponsored, the

Respect for Marriage Act The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress in 2022 and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal ...

, which would repeal DOMA. Menendez also voted for the U.S. military's

Don't ask, don't tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on Sexual orientation in the United States military, military service of homosexual people. Instituted during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, Clinton administration, the pol ...

as a congressman, and co-sponsored the DADT repeal act in 2010. In 1999, Menendez voted against a proposed amendment that would have banned adoption in Washington D.C. by same-sex couples and other persons not related by blood or marriage. The amendment failed with 213 votes in favor and 215 votes against. Of gay rights, Menendez has said, "Two people who want to be committed to each other should be able to enter into marriage, and they should receive the benefits that flow from that commitment."

Gun policy

Menendez has an "F" rating from the

NRA Political Victory Fund The Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is the political action committee (PAC) of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). Founded in 1976, the Fund endorses political candidates on behalf of the NRA and contributes money to those candidate's ...

and a "F−" rating from the

Gun Owners of America Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a gun rights organization in the United States. It makes efforts to differentiate itself from the larger National Rifle Association (NRA) and has publicly criticized the NRA on multiple occasions for what it consid ...

due to his support of gun law reform. Specifically, he supports universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. In January 2019, Menendez was one of 40 senators to introduce the Background Check Expansion Act, a bill that would require background checks for either the sale or transfer of all firearms, including all unlicensed sellers. Exceptions to the bill's background check requirement included transfers between members of law enforcement, loaning firearms for either hunting or sporting events on a temporary basis, providing firearms as gifts to members of one's immediate family, firearms transferred as part of an inheritance, or giving a firearm to another person temporarily for immediate self-defense. In June 2019, Menendez was one of four senators to cosponsor the Help Empower Americans to Respond (HEAR) Act, legislation that would ban suppressors being imported, sold, made, sent elsewhere, or possessed and grant a silencer buyback program as well as include certain exceptions for current and former law enforcement personnel and others. The bill was intended to respond to the Virginia Beach shooting, where the perpetrator used a .45-caliber handgun with multiple extended magazines and a suppressor.

Health care

In December 2018, Menendez was one of 42 senators to sign a letter to Trump administration officials

Alex Azar Alex Michael Azar II (; born June 17, 1967) is an American attorney, businessman, lobbyist, and former pharmaceutical executive who served as the 24th U.S. secretary of health and human services from 2018 to 2021. He was also chairman of the W ...

, Seema Verma, and

Steve Mnuchin Steven Terner Mnuchin ( ; born December 21, 1962) is an American investment banker and film producer who served as the 77th United States secretary of the treasury as part of the first cabinet of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. Serving for nearl ...

arguing that the administration was improperly using Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to authorize states to "increase health care costs for millions of consumers while weakening protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions". The senators requested the administration withdraw the policy and "re-engage with stakeholders, states, and Congress". In January 2019, during the

2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown The United States federal government Government shutdowns in the United States, shutdown from midnight Eastern Time Zone, EST on December 22, 2018, until February 9, 2019 (35 days) was the List of United States federal funding gaps, longest gov ...

, Menendez was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to

Commissioner of Food and Drugs The United States commissioner of food and drugs is the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The commissioner is appointed by the president of the United States an ...

Scott Gottlieb recognizing the efforts of the FDA to address the effect of the government shutdown on the public health and employees while remaining alarmed "that the continued shutdown will result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency's employees and the safety and security of the nation's food and medical products".

Foreign affairs

Menendez holds that the success of America's foreign policy is "inextricably linked to the health of her domestic democracy", stating in the January 19, 2021, confirmation hearings of Secretary-designate

Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor, deputy national security advisor ...

that public servants and senators have a "duty to stand up for democracy, for the constitution, and for the rule of law". He identified chief concerns as "rebuilding alliances, restoring American leadership in international institutions, and addressing complex global challenges like climate change, migration, pandemics like COVID-19". He identifies the "core American values" as "democracy, human rights, and the rule of law", upon which foreign policy should be recentered. In February 2006, Menendez cosponsored legislation with Senator

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

to make it illegal for foreign governments to buy U.S. port operations. The legislation was a direct response to

Dubai Ports World DP World is a multinational corporation, multinational logistics company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It specialises in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. Formed in 2005 by the merger of D ...

's efforts to purchase

Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company P&O (in full, The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company) was a British shipping and logistics company dating from the early 19th century. Formerly a public company, it was sold to DP World in March 2006 for £3.9 billion. DP World ...

(P&O) of the United Kingdom, which operates six major U.S. ports. Menendez said, "Our ports are the front lines of the war on terrorism. They are both vulnerable targets for attack and venues for smuggling and human trafficking. We wouldn't turn the Border Patrol or the Customs Service over to a foreign government, and we can't afford to turn our ports over to one either." Former undercover

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agent Robert Eringer wrote in his 2008 book ''Ruse: Undercover with FBI Counterintelligence'' that Cuban diplomats approached him to infiltrate Cuban exile organizations. He said that the Cuban government believed Menendez and Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ( ; ; born July 15, 1952) is an American politician and lobbyist from Miami, Florida, who represented from 1989 to 2019. By the end of her tenure, she was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida. She was Chairwoman ...

and Lincoln Díaz-Balart were receiving illicit payments from such organizations, and that it wanted to identify the source of the payments in order to "expose and humiliate" the three Congress members. In October 2009, Menendez sent a strongly worded letter of protest to

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

President

Dimitris Christofias Dimitris (Δημήτρης) is the Modern Greek form of the older forms Demetrios, Dimitrios (Δημήτριος, usually Latinized as Demetrius) and may refer to: * Dimitris Arvanitis (born 1980), Greek professional football defender who plays for ...

, criticizing him for his praise of the Cuban government. Christofias, the leader of

AKEL The Progressive Party of Working People (, , ΑΚΕΛ or AKEL; ) is a Marxist–LeninistHelena Smith, Cyprus gets ready for a communist 'takeover''The Guardian 2008 communist party in Cyprus. AKEL is one of the two major parties in Cyprus, and ...

, Cyprus's communist party, from 1988 to 2009 and president from 2008 to 2013, had paid a state visit to Cuba in September 2009 for the opening of Cyprus's new embassy and, in his speech, made several anti- American embargo references, and spoke of the "common struggle of Cyprus and Cuba". In his letter to Christofias, Menendez wrote, "you cannot claim human rights violations by

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

in your country and then ignore such violations in Cuba. Second, you cannot call for property rights for

Greek Cypriots Greek Cypriots (, ) are the ethnic Greeks, Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest Ethnolinguistic group, ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming al ...

and then deny them on Cuba. Finally, you cannot take issue with the militarization of

northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

and then ignore the state security apparatus that oppresses the Cuban people." In December 2010, Menendez voted for the ratification of

New Start New START (Russian language, Russian abbrev.: СНВ-III, ''SNV-III'' from ''сокращение стратегических наступательных вооружений'' "reduction of strategic offensive arms") is a Nuclear disarmament, ...

, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

obliging both countries to have no more than 1,550 strategic warheads or 700 launchers deployed during the next seven years along with providing a continuation of on-site inspections that halted when

START I START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the reduction and the limitation of strategic offensive arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 De ...

expired the previous year. It was the first arms treaty with Russia in eight years. On August 18, 2015, Menendez announced his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran, saying, "President Obama continues to erroneously say that this agreement permanently stops Iran from having a nuclear bomb, Let's be clear: What the agreement does is to recommit Iran not to pursue a nuclear bomb, a promise they have already violated in the past." In March 2017, Menendez co-sponsored the

Israel Anti-Boycott Act The Israel Anti-Boycott Act (IABA) (; ) was a proposed anti-BDS law and amendment to the Export Administration Act of 1979 designed to allow U.S. states to enact laws requiring contractors to sign pledges promising not to boycott any goods from ...

(S.270), which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and

Israeli settlement Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Israeli Jews, Jewish identity or ethni ...

s in the occupied

Palestinian territories The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine ...

if protesting actions by the Israeli government. In 2018, Menendez urged Vice President

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

to enter talks with Ecuador about withdrawing its asylum for

Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange ( ; Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of News leak, leaks from Chels ...

. His letter, signed by nine other senators, alleged that it was Assange's goal to "undermine democratic processes globally". In March 2018, Menendez voted against

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

's and

Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from the state of Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the U ...

's resolution that would end U.S. support for the

Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen On 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa, launched a military intervention in Yemen at the request of Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who had been ousted from the capital, Sa ...

. But Menendez criticized

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

's war in

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

, saying, "The Saudi Coalition bears significant responsibility for the magnitude of human suffering and scale of destruction in Yemen. Seventy-five percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 8 million are on the brink of famine." Noting concerns with the language after voting for Bob Corker's resolution naming the Saudi crown prince "responsible" for the murder of

Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi (13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018) was a Saudi journalist, Saudi dissidents, dissident, author, columnist for ''Middle East Eye'' and ''The Washington Post'', and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab New ...

, he said, "regardless of all of my other concerns about language is the central essence of what the chairman is going to do. I think it's incredibly important for the Senate to speak on that issue and hopefully speak with one voice." HK activists at the U

Menendez condemned the

genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...

of the Rohingya Muslim minority in

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

and called for a stronger response to the crisis. Menendez raised the issue of

Xinjiang internment camps The Xinjiang internment camps, officially called vocational education and training centers by the government of the People's Republic of China, are internment camps operated by the government of Xinjiang and the Chinese Communist Party P ...

and called China's persecution of Uyghurs "beyond abhorrent", adding, "The President needs to have a clear and consistent approach to China, and not turn a blind eye as a million Muslims are unjustly imprisoned and forced into labor camps by an autocratic regime." In January 2019, Menendez opposed Trump's planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

as a threat to U.S. national security. In April 2019, Menendez was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to Trump encouraging him "to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse a decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America", asserting that Trump had "consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance" since becoming president and that he was "personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity" by preventing the use of Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding. The senators argued that foreign assistance to Central American countries created less migration to the U.S. by helping to improve conditions in those countries. In June 2019, Menendez called for the immediate release of Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev, who was being held in custody by militants from the so-called

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR; , ) is Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupied territory in Ukraine that the Russian Federation has claimed to annex and declared as a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia, comprising parts o ...

. In October 2019, Menendez stated his opposition to the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria. Menendez called for the Trump administration to immediately suspend U.S. military aid to

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, sent through

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon () is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simple or list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting. A self-intersecting ...

's "building partner assistance program". According to critics, the aid could be used in the

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbai ...

between Azerbaijan and

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. In September 2020, Menendez tweeted: "I strongly condemn Azerbaijan's attack on

Nagorno Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh (, ; ) is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik. Its ter ...

, yet another act of aggression supported by Turkey." He co-signed a letter stating: "We have been very critical of U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan given the country's human rights record and aggression in the region. Earlier this year, at Senator Menendez's request, the

Government Accountability Office The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan government agency within the legislative branch that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the s ...

agreed to conduct a review of security assistance to the country to ensure that it aligns with U.S. interests; this violence indicates that it does not." In September 2022, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Menendez criticized the Biden administration for hesitating to impose sanctions on the governments of

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

and

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, where many atrocities and

war crimes A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...

were committed in the Tigray War.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Menendez became chair of the Foreign Relations Committee after John Kerry's confirmation as United States Secretary of State, Secretary of State in January 2013. His "Syria force resolution" was praised by President Obama and others. Menendez has supported taking a "hard line" on Iran.

Foreign affairs legislation sponsored

*Organization of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (S. 793; 113th Congress) – Menendez introduced this bill on April 24, 2013. The bill would require the Secretary of State to develop a multiyear strategy to bolster the Organization of American States (OAS) and improve the OAS's processes for managing its budget and personnel. The act would require the Secretary to provide quarterly briefings to Congress on the progress of implementing that strategy. *Support for United States-Republic of Korea Civil Nuclear Cooperation Act – Menendez introduced this bill, which would authorize the President to extend the term of the "Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Korea Concerning Civil Uses of Atomic Energy" to a date no later than March 19, 2016. The bill passed the Senate on January 27, 2014, and the House on January 28, 2014. *Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (), was introduced by Menendez to the 113th United States Congress, 113th Congress on September 16, 2014, to address 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. It was co-sponsored by 14 other senators. President Obama signed the bill into law on December 18, 2014. *Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022. In light of the prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, this legislation gave Ukraine $500 million "to assist the country in meeting its defense needs". The bill also reimposed sanctions on Russia.

Other issues

On September 28, 2006, Menendez voted for the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Military Commissions Act. On June 12, 2007, Menendez endorsed

for Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign, president and was given the position of National Campaign Co-chair. He made numerous media appearances in support of her campaign. In 2009, Menendez succeeded Senator Chuck Schumer of New York as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Menendez's tenure, which followed two straight election cycles of dramatic Democratic gains, was marked by a more troubled Democratic outlook. Critics of Menendez pointed out the surprising Democratic loss in the United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2010, 2010 Massachusetts Senate special election that followed the death of Ted Kennedy; Menendez's lower-key, more cautious management style; and problems caused by retirements in United States Senate election in Indiana, 2010, Indiana and elsewhere. Others, such as Schumer, defended Menendez's performance, citing the negative political climate. A group of New Jersey citizens launched an effort to recall election, recall Menendez in early 2010. Although Article 1, Paragraph 2(b) of the New Jersey Constitution expressly authorizes such a recall, state officials fought the effort in court. On March 16, 2010, a State Appeals court ruled that the recall petition could proceed. Menendez said he was surprised that a group claiming to be true to the Constitution was trying, in his words, "to undermine it". He appealed the ruling. Legal experts have debated the United States Constitution, constitutionality of a state recall of a federal officeholder. On November 18, 2010, the New Jersey Supreme Court found that the New Jersey provision violated the U.S. Constitution. In 2010, ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that Menendez had written to Federal Reserve System, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, asking him to approve an acquisition that would rescue from the prospect of receivership a New Jersey bank, First Bank Americano, operated by Menendez donors. It was discovered that "eight of 15 directors, including the bank's chairman and vice-chairman, have been contributors to Menendez or his political action committee". Former federal bank regulator William K. Black called the letter "grotesquely inappropriate" and said that "the letter crossed an unofficial line by asking regulators to approve an application instead of simply asking that it be given consideration". An aide to Menendez said that political contributions did not influence his decision to write the letter. A highly critical Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation report found that the institution had engaged in unsafe or unsound banking practices, including operating without adequate supervision by its board of directors, excessive delinquent or bad loans, inadequate earnings, and insufficient coverage of its assets. On January 5, 2012, Menendez blocked Judge Patty Shwartz, an Obama administration nominee, to a federal judgeship, drawing speculation that the block was placed because of Shwartz's relationship with the head of the public corruption unit for United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, New Jersey's federal prosecutor, who had investigated Menendez during his 2006 campaign. Menendez denied personal motivation for the block. He has long contended that the corruption investigation was politically motivated. The investigation was closed in late 2011 with no charges filed. On December 12, 2012, it was reported that Menendez's office had an unpaid intern volunteering who had let his visitor visa expire and was a Sex offender registry, registered sex offender. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been aware of the man as early as October 2012 but according to the

, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instructed their agents not to arrest the man until after Election Day. Menendez denied knowing about the allegation of the directive to delay the arrest and only recently learned of the arrest. According to two federal officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case, the intern was arrested in front of his New Jersey home on December 6, 2012. In May 2014, Menendez received an award for Political Courage at a gala organized by the American Friends of Likud, where he reaffirmed the strong alliance between the U.S. and Israel and said, "several thousands of years of history lead to an undeniable conclusion: the reestablishment of the State of Israel in modern times is a political reality with roots going back to the time of Abraham and Sarah and historical texts and artifacts". He rejected movements to boycott Israel. Menendez became an outspoken advocate of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) after it was delisted. Menendez spearheaded a nonbinding resolution in July 2018 "warning President Trump not to let the Russian government question diplomats and other officials". The resolution states the United States "should refuse to make available any current or former diplomat, civil servant, political appointee, law enforcement official or member of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin". It passed 98–0. In April 2019, Menendez was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators hoped the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020. Menendez has pushed for a complete State and local tax deduction, tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT). Most of the benefits of such a policy would benefit the wealthiest taxpayers.

Implication in child prostitution scandal

In November 2012, the Conservatism in the United States, conservative political news and opinion website ''Daily Caller'' published allegations that Menendez had contact with Prostitution of children, underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. The allegations were promoted by Republican Party operatives, who arranged for ABC News (United States), ABC News and the ''Daily Caller'' to interview two women who accused Menendez of patronizing prostitutes. ABC News and other news organizations such as ''

'' and the ''New York Post'' declined to publish the allegations, viewing them as unsubstantiated and lacking credibility. One accuser stated that she had been paid to falsely implicate Menendez and had never met him. The ''Daily Caller'' said this woman was not interviewed for its story. Menendez's office called the allegations "manufactured" by a "right-wing blog" as a politically motivated smear. On March 18, 2013, Dominican police announced that three women had said they had been paid $300–$425 each to lie about having had sex with Menendez.

Corruption charges and conviction

On August 27, 2006, two Republican state lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Menendez, alleging he broke conflict-of-interest rules when renting property to a nonprofit agency that receives federal funds. Menendez helped the agency win designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center in 1998. That designation allowed it to receive additional federal grants. Menendez allies said that the organization in question, the North Hudson Community Action Corp., which provides social services and health care to the poor and was founded in 1960, had received federal funding for years before Menendez was in Congress, and receives its funding based on mathematical formulas. Menendez said that he rented the property out below market value because "he was supportive of its work". The total rent collected over nine years was over $300,000. The sentencing of Bob Menendez marked a significant fall from grace for the once-powerful politician. Sidney H. Stein, Judge Sidney Stein, in delivering the sentence, remarked, "You stood at the apex of our political system. Somewhere along the way, you lost your way." The conviction made Menendez the first sitting member of Congress to be found guilty of acting as a foreign agent. The corruption scheme involved Menendez accepting over $100,000 in gold bars, a

convertible, and more than $480,000 in cash hidden in various locations. Prosecutors argued that Menendez used his position to push for U.S. military aid to

and share nonpublic information with Egyptian officials. Two of Menendez's co-conspirators, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also sentenced to 8 and 7 years in prison respectively. The case against Menendez included substantial evidence, such as Daibes' fingerprints on envelopes of cash found at Menendez's home and serial numbers on gold bars traced to both Daibes and Hana. Menendez's legal team had sought leniency, arguing for a non-custodial sentence due to his age and his wife's ongoing cancer treatment. However, the prosecution pushed for a substantial prison sentence to address what they called an "extraordinary abuse of power and betrayal of the public trust".

2015 indictment

In January 2013, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided the office of Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, a close friend and major donor to Menendez.Jackson, Herb (October 24, 2013
Feds again raid Menendez doner's office
''The Record''. Later that month, a Grand jury, federal grand jury in Miami began investigating Menendez for his role in advocating for Melgen's business interests. It was revealed over the following months that Menendez had paid Melgen nearly $59,000 for two private flights to the Dominican Republic in 2010. This raised questions about whether the flights violated United States Senate Ethics Committee, Senate Ethics Committee rules.Phillis, Michael (July 16, 2014)
Menendez defense fund sent more than $300,000
''The Herald-News''. It was also found that Melgen's company had contributed more than $950,000 to Menendez's 2012 reelection campaign. Melgen's home was raided again on October 22 but he still refused to cooperate with investigators. On April 1, 2015, the United States Department of Justice indicted Menendez and Melgen in ''United States v. Menendez'' (3d Cir. 2016). The charges against Menendez included bribery, fraud, and making false statements. According to the indictment, Menendez asked top United States State Department, State Department officials to pressure the Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic's government to enforce a port-security contract that would benefit Melgen's company while at the same time Melgen was promising to give $60,000 to Menendez's campaign. Prosecutors also charged that Menendez acted as Melgen's "personal senator", helping obtain visas for several of Melgen's girlfriends. In return, Menendez was accused of accepting a range of gifts from Melgen, including trips on Melgen's private jet, three nights at a five-star Paris hotel, a round of golf at a private club in West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach, and access to an exclusive Dominican Republic, Dominican resort—some of which Menendez allegedly failed to report on financial disclosure forms. Melgen also donated a substantial amount of money to Menendez's political campaigns, and prosecutors said that $750,000 of those contributions were tied to personal benefits Menendez accepted. After his indictment, Menendez voluntarily stepped down as ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. His trial began on September 6, 2017, before Judge William H. Walls of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. On November 16, 2017, Walls declared a mistrial due to the jury's inability to reach a verdict on any charges. On January 31, 2018, the Justice Department announced it was dropping all charges against Menendez. The case was strongly shaped by ''McDonnell v. United States'', the 2016 Supreme Court decision to vacate the corruption conviction of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, which narrowed the legal definition of public corruption and made it harder for prosecutors to prove that a political official engaged in bribery. Melgen was convicted of 66 counts of health-care fraud and in February 2018 was sentenced to 17 years in prison; President Trump List of people granted executive clemency by Donald Trump#Salomon Melgen, commuted his sentence in January 2021. In April 2018, the

"severely admonished" Menendez in a letter, writing:

2023 indictment

Beginning in late 2022, questions were raised about whether Menendez or his wife accepted allowable gifts from an Edgewater, New Jersey, halal meat provider and whether an Egyptian firm received unwarranted favorable treatment. Subpoenas unrelated to the latter firm were issued in May 2023 to Nicholas Sacco, the mayor of North Bergen, New Jersey, and others. Investigators found $480,000 in cash and more than $100,000 worth of gold bars at Menendez's home. On September 22, 2023, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged five people, including Menendez and his wife Nadine, with corruption in a new indictment. One of the allegations was that Menendez "provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt". Another was that he used his position to pressure prosecutors in New Jersey who were involved in the cases of his friends Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe in exchange for financial gifts from the two men. According to the Senate Historical Office, Menendez is the first sitting senator to be indicted on two unrelated criminal matters. After the indictment, he gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Over the following days, Democratic Party politicians such as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy,

Speaker Craig Coughlin, and numerous U.S. senators called for Menendez's resignation. Menendez said: "It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Menendez "has a right to due process and a fair trial". Representative Andy Kim (politician), Andy Kim responded that given Menendez's refusal to resign, he would run in the Democratic primary for Menendez's seat in the 2024 United States Senate election in New Jersey. On November15, 2023, Murphy's wife, Tammy Murphy, announced that she was running for Menendez's Senate seat. On March24, 2024, she suspended her campaign. On October13, 2023, prosecutors filed new charges that Menendez "provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt" and failed to register as an agent of a foreign power for over four years. Senator John Fetterman called on the Senate to expel Menendez. In a superseding indictment filed on January2, 2024, prosecutors alleged that Menendez made positive comments about

in order to help a New Jersey real estate developer secure millions in funding from a member of the House of Thani, Qatari royal family. In exchange, Menendez allegedly received gifts including cash, gold, designer watches, and Formula One tickets. On March5, 2024, Menendez and his wife were charged with

after prosecutors alleged that his attorneys had lied about payments two businessmen made on his wife's house and car. Menendez claims the payments were loans he later repaid, but prosecutors claim they were bribes. The indictment came the week after one of the businessmen, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and bribery.

Trial, conviction, and sentencing

Jury selection for Menendez's trial began on May13, 2024. On June4, an FBI agent testified about surveillance she had conducted against Menendez in May 2019 at Morton's The Steakhouse in Washington, D.C., where Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were dining with three others, including an Egyptian official. Agents also testified about a search they performed of a safe deposit box in New Jersey Nadine Menendez used, in which they found $80,000 in cash. The defense noted that Menendez himself had never accessed the safety deposit box. On June6, the prosecution called former New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal to the stand. Grewal told the court that in September 2019 Menendez invited him to a meeting at Menendez's office in Newark, at which Menendez complained about Grewal's office's treatment of Hispanic defendants in a trucking insurance fraud investigation; when Menendez made clear he was referring to an ongoing case, Grewal ended the meeting and left. Closing arguments took place on July 9 and 10. Jury deliberations began on July 12. On July 16, the jury convicted Menendez of all charges, including bribery, extortion, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. Sentencing was originally scheduled for October 29, but was delayed to January 29, 2025. On January 29, 2025, Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The start of his sentence was delayed to June 6, 2025, so he could attend his wife's trial for bribery and corruption charges in March. Outside the court, Menendez stated the "process is political and it's corrupted to the core [...] I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system." On April 21, 2025, Menendez's wife Nadine was found guilty by a jury in her federal bribery trial. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts. Among the fifteen counts were obstruction of justice and conspiring to make her husband an agent of Egypt. Egypt had granted Wael Hana's company, IS EG Halal, a monopoly on halal meat imports to Egypt, and the company was used to funnel bribes to Robert and Nadine Menendez. His reporting date was then pushed back to June 17, 2025, to allow him to attend his stepdaughter's wedding. This was the final delay granted, with the judge stating that no further postponements would be allowed. He is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Pennsylvania.

Awards and honors

West New York, New Jersey, which borders Menendez's childhood hometown of Union City to the north, renamed Public School No. 3 in his honor; it is now known as Robert Menendez Elementary School. The renaming ceremony was held on December 4, 2013. Following Menendez's conviction in July 2024, West New York officials agreed to revert the school to its previous name in time for the upcoming school year. In 2021, President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou awarded Menendez the Order of Honour (Greece), Grand Cross of the Order of Honour for "his contribution to the deepening of Greek-US relations and the promotion of peace and cooperation in the wider region". Menendez also received the Order of Makarios III, Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III from President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades for "his contribution to promoting human rights, the rule of law, and democracy". In 2014, Prime Minister of Spain Mariano Rajoy awarded Menendez the Order of Isabella the Catholic, Grand Cross of The Order of Isabella the Catholic for "his dedication to Spain and the Hispanic community and his excellent work in developing the links between Spain and the United States". * Greece: ** GRE_Order_of_Honour_Grand_Cross_BAR

Order of Honour (Greece), Grand Cross of the Order of Honour ** Star for Merit and Honour (Ministry of National Defence (Greece), Ministry of National Defence commendation) * Cyprus: ** CYP Order of Makarios III ribbon

Order of Makarios III, Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III * Spain: ** ESP_Isabella_Catholic_Order_GC

Order of Isabella the Catholic, Grand Cross of The Order of Isabella the Catholic

Personal life

In 1976, Menendez married Jane Jacobsen, a teacher for the Union City School District (New Jersey), Union City Board of Education and Union City Public Schools. They had two children: Alicia Menendez, an MSNBC television commentator/host, and Rob Menendez, who worked as the Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was elected to Congress in New Jersey's 8th congressional district in 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 8, 2022 as a Democrat. Menendez and Jacobsen divorced in 2005.Jeffrey Gettleman, Gettleman, Jeffrey
"Robert Menendez, a Politician Even at 20"
. ''

''. December 10, 2005 He has four grandchildren. Later, Menendez dated Gwendolyn Beck, an author who later ran for Congress. In 2010, he brought her to the White House for a state dinner. In December 2013, Menendez proposed to his girlfriend, Alicia Mucci, in the United States Capitol rotunda, Capitol rotunda. Some sources say they married that month, but many others indicate that they never married. He began a relationship with Nadine Arslanian in 2018. Reports conflict as to whether they had an "on-again, off-again relationship" for most of the year or met in December 2018 at the IHOP in Union City. In October 2019 they traveled to India and he proposed to her at the Taj Mahal. They married in October 2020. She has two children from a prior marriage, and was divorced in 2005. In September 2023, Arslanian was indicted on federal bribery charges alongside Menendez. It was subsequently reported that she had been involved in a December 2018 car accident that left a pedestrian dead. The case, which drew no charges or media coverage at the time, resurfaced in the federal indictment, where prosecutors allege Menendez interfered with the prosecution of a New Jersey businessman in exchange for a Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes to replace his wife's car. As of 2009, Menendez lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, Hoboken. In 2011, he lived in North Bergen, New Jersey, North Bergen, and in 2014 he moved to Paramus, New Jersey, Paramus. In 2018, he moved to Harrison, New Jersey, Harrison, and in 2020 he moved into his new wife's home, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Englewood Cliffs. Since February 2025, Menendez's daughter Alicia has co-hosted MSNBC's 7pm ET weekday newscast.

Electoral history

New Jersey Assembly

State Senate

House

Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, Donald K. Stoveken as an America First Populist received 682 votes. In 2000, Alina Lydia Fonteboa received 233 votes and Kari Sachs received 168 votes. In 2002, a candidate listed only as "Independent (The American Party)" received 34 votes; also, Herbert Shaw's full party name was "Politicians are Crooks – Politicos son Corruptos" (shortened for display purposes above).

Senate

Explanatory notes

References

External links

Senator Robert Menendez
official U.S. Senate website
Bob Menendez for Senate
* ; Articles

editorial, ''

'', December 9, 2005
"Menendez on the Move"
Al Sullivan, '' Union City Reporter'', December 11, 2005 ; Notable congressional hearings
Senate Foreign Relations Committee—Antony Blinken confirmation hearing for US Secretary of State (1/19/2021)
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Early life

Early political career

Union City politics (19741992)

New Jersey legislature (19871992)

U.S. House of Representatives (1993–2006)

Elections

Tenure

U.S. Senate (2006–2024)

Elections

1996

2006

2012

2018

2024

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Tenure

Immigration

Agriculture

Disaster relief

Environment

Education

LGBT policy

Gun policy

Health care

Foreign affairs

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Foreign affairs legislation sponsored

Other issues

Implication in child prostitution scandal

Corruption charges and conviction

2015 indictment

2023 indictment

Trial, conviction, and sentencing

Awards and honors

Personal life

Electoral history

New Jersey Assembly

State Senate

House

Senate

See also

Explanatory notes

References

External links