A bipartisan group of House lawmakers have introduced legislation that would immediately end all military sales and aid to Saudi Arabia, in the wake of dissident Jamal Khashoggi’s death at the hands of Saudi agents.
Pressure has been growing on the Trump administration to penalize the Saudi government for the murder of Khashoggi and attempts to cover it up. The bill from Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., which is sponsored by three House Republicans, would do just that.
“It is now clear that Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi Consulate,” McGovern said in a statement Tuesday. “The use of a diplomatic post as a torture chamber is an affront not only to international norms, but to basic human decency.”
“With the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it’s time for the United States to halt all weapons sales and military aid to Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Our democratic values are on the line here – and we need to step up as a country and do the right thing.”
The House won’t have a chance to act on McGovern’s bill until after the midterm election, and it’s not clear House Republicans will decide to advance it.
But the presence of three Republicans on the bill is a sign it could be discussed, depending on how the Trump administration decides to handle the matter.
Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Walter Jones of North Carolina, and Justin Amash of Michigan are co-sponsors of McGovern’s bill.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration was already moving to revoke the U.S. visas of the Saudi officials they think played a role in Khashoggi’s death. He also said the U.S. was looking at whether other sanctions might apply to those officials.
President Trump said those responsible for the incident “should be in big trouble,” but Saudi Arabia’s government has said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn’t play any role.
