US Lawmakers to Present Legislation on Halting Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna are proposing new legislation to stop providing weapons to Saudi Arabia, in response to Riyadh’s decision to back OPEC+ cuts to oil production.

"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," Blumenthal, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Khanna said in a Sunday article for Politico.

They argued that what Washington perceives as Saudi Arabia’s support for Russia merits a "far-reaching review of the US-Saudi relationship."

Blumenthal and Khanna emphasized that Saudi Arabia largely depends on US defense assistance and will be forced to "come back to the table and negotiate with the U.S. in good faith" if Washington deprives Riyadh of arms supplies.

"...we are proposing bicameral legislation in the Senate and House on Tuesday that will immediately halt all U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia," the US lawmakers said, adding that the proposed pause of US military supplies should include "the controversial, new and hastily planned Red Sands testing facilities in Saudi Arabia."

If faced with a ban on arms sales, the Saudis will find it very challenging to find foreign replacements, according to Blumenthal and Khanna.

"And any ban could be temporary — until Saudi Arabia reconsiders its embrace of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," the US lawmakers said in their article for Politico.

On Wednesday, the OPEC+ group of countries agreed to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day from the August production levels starting in November.

The White House immediately reacted by accusing OPEC of partnering up with Russia.

On Friday, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said the decision to cut production was not politically motivated and not related to the confrontation between some countries, but came from assessments of high recession risks.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Fox News on Friday that his country’s decision to back OPEC+ cuts to oil production was not meant to harm the United States but to stabilize the global market amid a slowing economy.