Congress Cries Foul: US-Saudi Relations Under The Hammer!

ALBAWABA - The US has never been so angry with the Saudis as it is today. And its all because of oil and the cut in production agreed by the OPEC+ countries to slash two million barrels on the daily total in order to hike up international prices. 

The latest wrath has come from Robert Menendez, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the US Congress. He is not mincing words, calling for the freezing of all US relations with Saudi  Arabia and including arms sales. 

"The United States must immediately freeze all aspects of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests," the New Jersey senator said in a statement quoted in UPI.

"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, he pointed out.

Democratic Senators are dismayed because of what they call as America's strategic relations with the Saudis that goes back many decades but is now seen as being floundered by Riyadh. UPI added: Menendez went further and accused Saudi Arabia's decision as helping to "underwrite" Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

"There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict -- either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping off an entire country off of the map, or you support him," he said. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest."

Menendez may be echoing what the White House feels. After all US President Bill Biden personally went to Saudi Arabia with a full American team last July. It was then argued he received vague promises to increase oil production but there was never any real commitments.  

After the OPEC+ deal was made to cut oil Biden warned there will be “consequences” for Saudi Arabia. "There’s going to be some consequences for what they’ve done with Russia," Biden said in an interview with CNN. "I’m not going to get into what I’d consider and what I have in mind. But there will be — there will be consequences," he said and as quoted by Anadolu, adding it is time for Washington to rethink its relationship with the kingdom.

On the same level, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden was working to re-evaluate the US's relationship with Saudi Arabia. "This is a relationship that we need to continue to reevaluate, that we need to be willing to revisit, and certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that's where he is," Kirby said during an interview with CNN and according to the Turkish news agency. 

He added that Biden is now willing to work with Congress to re-work the US-Saudi relationship. "The president is obviously disappointed by the OPEC decision and is going to be willing to work with Congress as we think about what the right relationship with Saudi Arabia needs to be going forward," he said. "He's going to be willing to start to have those conversations right away."

The idea of pulling together is not far-fetched for there are many Democrats in Congress who are not happy with the Saudi and the OPEC cartel's decision. They include Senate majority whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the Saudis "backstabbers" and last week called for U.S. foreign policy to end its alliance with the Saudi royal family who has "never been a trustworthy ally of our nation." Others like Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders feel the same way. 

Meanwhile Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep. Ro Khanna of California introduced legislation that would immediately pause all U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia for one year according to AFP. This pause would also halt sales of spare and repair parts, support services and logistical support.

Many however feel weary of how far the White House wouldn't to go in changing or denting relations with the Saudis.