Some Congressional Democrats are calling to reexamine ties with key oil producers after a decision from OPEC+ to cut oil production by 2 millions barrels a day.
Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, Illinois Rep. Sean Casten and New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski — called the move “a hostile act” and a “turning point” in the relationship between the U.S. and the two Gulf states late Wednesday night and introduced legislation to remove U.S. military support from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The New Jersey Democrat said the bill is “an exact copy” of a bill that Senate Republicans pushed when Trump was in the White House to give him leverage when the Saudis were producing more oil to push the price down to harm U.S. production. He said GOP lawmakers at the time were on board and the threat of pulling out military support worked then and he hopes they will support this effort.
Malinowski said, “We have to stop acting like the suckers in this relationship, and reestablish that the services we provide to these countries require them to take our legitimate interests and concerns into account. And if they’re not willing to do that, then they should find another friend.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal suggested, at the least, a carrot and stick approach with Saudi Arabia.
“There still is, in my view, an opportunity to persuade the Saudis that you’re making a gigantic mistake here — and I hope the administration will be aggressive about it,” Blumenthal said.
