WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) hosted a live telephone-town hall to speak with Idahoans about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and current events in Washington, D.C.

The call garnered more than 13,000 listeners across the state. Over the course of the town hall, Senator Risch answered questions about the ongoing stimulus negotiations in the Senate, the national debt, and support for doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic. One question came from a constituent in Gooding who expressed his concerns about the aggressive pursuits of China, especially as it relates to intellectual property theft.

“We welcome China to the world stage, but they’ve got to adopt the rule of law and comply with it. They must embrace international norms – they have not done that,”  Senator Risch said on the call. “China is prospering greatly at the expense of Americans. This has got to stop. We have to be joined on this by developed countries who have lived by the rule of law for decades – and in some cases for centuries – and it brought us the prosperity we have. China has got to be brought to heel on this. If they don’t, it’s going to be a very long 21st century, not only for America, but for every developed country.”

Senator Risch speaks to constituents during August 4th tele-town hall

Any constituent can join a future telephone town hall and have the opportunity to speak with the senator one-on-one and ask him questions about his policy positions and current events in Washington, D.C. If you would like to add your contact information to the list,  click here.

To listen to Senator Risch’s comments on increasingly aggressive actions from China during the tele-town hall,  click here. 

To listen to Senator Risch’s comments on the outlook of the pandemic,  click here.

# # #