Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., pressed Energy Secretary Rick Perry Tuesday to disclose specific details of a “secret” nuclear technology export agreement with Saudi Arabia.
“We are very concerned about the nuclear proliferation risk associated with the Kingdom’s nuclear program,” the senators said in a letter sent to Perry, requesting specific information on seven export licenses approved by Perry and first revealed last week.
“We therefore believe the United States should not be providing nuclear technology or information to them at this time,” they added.
Rubio, who leads the Foreign Relations Committee’s panel on the Western Hemisphere and human rights, maintains that it is the place of Congress to approve all agreements and transfers of nuclear technology to the kingdom.
He introduced bipartisan legislation with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., earlier this year to place further congressional oversight on all nuclear deals with Saudi Arabia in the wake of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi was allegedly murdered at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The senators’ letter says Mohammed has threatened to develop a nuclear weapon in response to Iran, which poses a major nonproliferation risk that could stoke a conflagration in the Middle East.
“The Kingdom frankly has engaged in many deeply troubling actions and statements that have provoked alarm in Congress and led lawmakers to begin the process of reevaluating the U.S.-Saudi relationship and our long-term stability and interests in the region,” the letter said.
The senators warned Perry that Saudi Arabia has repeatedly asked that no limitations be placed on how it uses nuclear fuel in any agreement with the United States. That request is unacceptable, according to the senators, who asked Perry to disclose details of his recent authorizations so they could judge the proliferation risk.
The Trump administration’s negotiations “have been clouded in secrecy,” they wrote, and the White House has not kept Congress fully informed on the discussions as required by the Atomic Energy Act.
They also asked Perry about the specific technology he authorized and why the companies involved in the export agreements could not disclose what those technologies were.
The senators are giving Perry until April 10 to respond.
Rubio has also asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the administration’s nuclear negotiations with Saudi Arabia.
