Senate Panel Advances Bill to Punish Saudis for Khashoggi’s Death
Senate Panel Advances Bill to Punish Saudis for Khashoggi’s Death
(Bloomberg) -- A Senate committee advanced a bill to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, setting up a confrontation with President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a more measured action to preserve the longstanding alliance.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, would suspend arms sales to the kingdom and impose sanctions on those found responsible for the Khashoggi murder, potentially including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It was approved 13-9.
The measure was co-sponsored by Republican Senators Todd Young, Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins.
The committee votes came a day after Trump vetoed three resolutions passed by Congress to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Trump has sought to maintain a close relationship with the kingdom, which his administration has described as an important partner to help counter Iran’s influence in the region.
Menendez’s measure replaced a proposal from Committee Chairman Jim Risch, prepared in consultation with the White House, which would restrict U.S. visas for members of the kingdom’s royal family but not the crown prince or the Saudi ambassador. The measure also had bipartisan support, with two Democratic co-sponsors.
Risch has said he is “not interested” in passing legislation that wouldn’t be signed into law by the president. The committee chairman argues that restricting travel to the U.S., a high priority for many wealthy Saudis, is the best way to pressure the crown prince to change his behavior.
In a surprise move, Risch pulled his bill from consideration after the committee amended it to include Menendez’s bill, which Risch said would prevent it from being signed by the president.
The House passed a bill earlier this month that would require intelligence officials to report to Congress detailing evidence of who was responsible for killing Khashoggi, including any current or former Saudi officials. The measure, passed 405-7, would require the administration to impose sanctions and deny U.S. visas to sanctioned individuals seeking to enter the country.
Trump said in November that the U.S. may “never know all of the facts” in the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned critic.
“Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said at the time.
To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, Anna Edgerton
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