U.S. Senate (2006–2024)
In January 2006, Governor
Jon Corzine appointed Menendez to fill the remaining year in Corzine's Senate term, from which Corzine resigned after being elected
governor of New Jersey 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. Menendez was the sixth Latino to serve in the United States Senate. In 2015, Menendez was ranked No. 1 on
The Hudson Reporters annual Power List of the "Fifty Most Powerful Political Figures in
Hudson County".
Elections 1996 When incumbent U.S. Senator
Bill Bradley 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, the Democrat representing
New Jersey's 9th congressional district. Similarly, in 1999, when the state's other U.S. Senator,
Frank Lautenberg, announced his planned retirement, Menendez again decided not to run, with the Democratic nomination for the 2000 race going to
Goldman Sachs CEO
Jon Corzine, who won the
general election.
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
New Jersey Senate, and son of former state governor
Thomas Kean, with 53% of the vote to Kean's 45%. Menendez was endorsed by several newspapers including
The New York Times,
The Philadelphia Inquirer,
The Star-Ledger, and
The Record.
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
Qatar while receiving various illicit gifts such as cash, gold bars, and a
Mercedes-Benz 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. On June 3, Menendez officially filed to run as an independent. He told the
Associated Press 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 served on the
United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the
United States Senate Committee on Finance; and the
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. •
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs •
Committee on Finance •
Committee on Foreign Relations (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 •
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Tenure On January 6, 2021, Menendez was participating in the certification of the
2021 United States Electoral College vote count 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 in the military.
Immigration Mayor
Brian P. Stack (second from left) Menendez is an "aggressive advocate" of
immigration reform, 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. 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, 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, voting for both bills. He voted against Senate Amendment 1151, declaring English the national language of the
Federal government of the United States. He voted to continue federal funding for declared "sanctuary cities". He voted for the
Secure Fence Act of 2006, 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
immigration reform (CIR). In 2014 the
National Council of La Raza (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 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 administrator
Brock Long calling on FEMA to enter an agreement with the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development 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. 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; 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 (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 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 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. 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 (DOMA) as a congressman in 1996; on December 18, 2011, he came out in support of, and co-sponsored, the
Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA. Menendez also voted for the U.S. military's
Don't ask, don't tell 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 and a "F−" rating from the
Gun Owners of America 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,
Seema Verma, and
Steve Mnuchin 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, Menendez was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to
Commissioner of Food and Drugs 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 , Kyiv,
Ukraine, September 2014 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 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 to make it illegal for foreign governments to buy U.S. port operations. The legislation was a direct response to
Dubai Ports World's efforts to purchase
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (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 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 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 President
Dimitris Christofias, criticizing him for his praise of the Cuban government. Christofias, the leader of
AKEL, 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 in your country and then ignore such violations in Cuba. Second, you cannot call for property rights for
Greek Cypriots and then deny them on Cuba. Finally, you cannot take issue with the militarization of
northern Cyprus and then ignore the state security apparatus that oppresses the Cuban people." In December 2010, Menendez voted for the ratification of
New Start, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and the
Russian Federation 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 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 (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 settlements in the occupied
Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government. In 2018, Menendez urged Vice President
Mike Pence to enter talks with Ecuador about withdrawing its asylum for
Julian Assange. 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's and
Chris Murphy's resolution that would end U.S. support for the
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. But Menendez criticized
Saudi Arabia's war in
Yemen, 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, 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." Menendez condemned the
genocide of the
Rohingya Muslim minority in
Myanmar and called for a stronger response to the crisis. Menendez raised the issue of
Xinjiang internment camps 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 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. 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, sent through
Pentagon's "building partner assistance program". According to critics, the aid could be used in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia. In September 2020, Menendez tweeted: "I strongly condemn Azerbaijan's attack on
Nagorno Karabakh, 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 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."
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Menendez became chair of the
Foreign Relations Committee after
John Kerry's confirmation as
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 Congress on September 16, 2014, to address
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. On June 12, 2007, Menendez endorsed
Hillary Clinton for
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
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
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 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
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 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". 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
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
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
Associated Press, 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'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
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
conservative political news and opinion website
Daily Caller published allegations that Menendez had contact with
underage prostitutes in the
Dominican Republic. 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==