article_snippet: the senator is associated with.
article_snippet: One of the highest ranking Hispanic members of Congress, Menendez is a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
article_snippet: Menendez has become one of the Obama administration's most vocal Democratic opponents on two key foreign policy matters -- President Obama's decision to ease the trade embargo against Cuba and also Menendez effort to engage direct negotiations with Iran over Cuba's nuclear program.
article_snippet: Menendez, now serving the senator second full term as senator, led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2009-2011.
article_snippet: Menendez's office said at the time the senator's interest was based on the senator efforts to combat narcotrafficking in the region.
article_snippet: Among these is a meeting among Mendedez, Sen. Harry Reid and then Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
article_snippet: The parties primarily dispute the legislative character of Menendez's two conversations with [then acting CMS administrator Marilyn] Tavenner and his meeting with then Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius," A federal district court said.
article_snippet: These communications are not manifestly legislative acts because These communications are informal communications with executive branch officials, one of whom was at the time a presidential nominee whose nomination was pending before the United States senate.