Top Democrats are looking to punish Saudi Arabia in the wake of OPEC+’s decision to cut oil production despite the United States warning the move could have a detrimental impact on the global economy.
OPEC+’s Wednesday announcement that it would cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day starting in November has sparked strong backlash. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN on Tuesday that Joe Biden is continuing to “reevaluate” America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia as a result of the decision. And the White House said the president will work with Congress on crafting the best path forward.
BIDEN ‘REEVALUATING’ SAUDI ARABIA TIES AS DEMOCRATS RAIL AGAINST OPEC+ SNUB
But the move by Saudi Arabia has also reverberated through Capitol Hill.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) called for a “freeze” on cooperation with the country Monday in response to its actions, the same day Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced legislation to halt arms sales and the sale of military parts to the Saudis immediately.
“The Saudi decision was a pointed blow to the U.S., but the U.S. also has a way to respond: It can promptly pause the massive transfer of American warfare technology into the eager hands of the Saudis,” the two lawmakers, along with Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, wrote in a Politico op-ed.
“Simply put, America shouldn’t be providing such unlimited control of strategic defense systems to an apparent ally of our greatest enemy — nuclear bomb extortionist Vladimir Putin,” they added.
Menendez voiced support for the ban on arms sales, adding that he believes security cooperation should also cease in an effort to “defend U.S. personnel and interests.”
“The United States must immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests,” he said in a statement.
The announcement was notable given Menendez’s role as the chairman of the Senate committee that oversees arms sales abroad.
“As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will not green-light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough,” he added.
The week before, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer threatened legislative action as punishment for Saudi Arabia’s move.
“What Saudi Arabia did to help [Russian President Vladimir] Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans. We are looking at all the legislative tools to best deal with this appalling and deeply cynical action, including the NOPEC bill,” Schumer tweeted Thursday, referring to legislation that would alter antitrust policies to allow lawsuits against OPEC+ member countries and their businesses.
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The oil cuts have threatened an already cool relationship between the U.S. and the Gulf ally and caused the U.S. to cancel a meeting that was supposed to take place between U.S. Embassy officials and the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council on air and missile defenses, Semafor reported on Tuesday.
Republicans have also condemned OPEC+’s decision but have taken aim at Democrats over their positions on energy policy, arguing that the situation proves there should be more domestic production.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently said: “When gas prices were skyrocketing, the Biden Administration insisted up and down they had no control over them. When the prices started to level off, the same politicians asked for a round of applause. Funny how that works — here’s what working families in Kentucky know: That a gallon of gas costs over a full dollar more than before President Biden took office.”
“Just like our overall 13.2% inflation since January 2021 is directly traceable to Democrats’ reckless spending, a lot of our energy crisis is traceable to Democrats’ shortsighted policies,” he added.
