US lawmakers said on Tuesday the Senate might vote within weeks on legislation to punish Saudi Arabia over the bloody war in Yemen and the death of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist, at its consulate in Istanbul, Reuters reported.
According to the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Corker, the Senate could vote before the end of the year on a resolution seeking to cut off all assistance to Saudi Arabia over the war in Yemen.
He said it was also possible that measures to prevent arms sales to Riyadh would make it to the Senate floor.
“Senators are looking for some way to show Saudi Arabia the disdain they have for what has happened, with the journalist, but also concerns about the way Yemen has gone,” Corker added.
In the wake of Mohammed Bin Salman’s reckless military campaign in Yemen, the killing of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey has raised concerns in Congress about the Riyadh government.
“It would be very hard, if a weapons sale came up, to keep it from being undone, at least in the Senate,” Corker said.
Corker said his staff had asked that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and CIA Director Gina Haspel come to the Capitol as soon as late November for a classified briefing to address concerns about Yemen and Khashoggi’s death, said Reuters.
Republicans, who kept control of the Senate in the Nov. 6 elections but lost their majority in the House of Representatives to Democrats, will remain in charge of the House until the new Congress is seated in January, however, and voted on Tuesday to stop legislation in committee that would have ended US support for the war in Yemen, added Reuters.
“Real, immediate action must be taken by Congress to end this horrific humanitarian crisis,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, signaling that things could change when Democrats take over, if not before.
Source: Reuters
