Shaheen Responds to President’s Statement Defending Saudi Arabia

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, issued the following statement in response to the President’s announcement that his administration will continue to stand by Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist and U.S. permanent resident Jamal Khashoggi:

“President Trump’s habit of siding with murderous foreign dictators over American intelligence professionals is a stain on our democracy that undermines the American ideal,” said Senator Shaheen. “Fortunately, the President is not the sole protector of that ideal. Congress must now stand up with bipartisan resolve to condemn the brutal slaying of Jamal Khashoggi and pass legislation to respond to this and other Saudi crimes.” 

Last week, Senator Shaheen worked with a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act of 2018, comprehensive legislation to ensure effective Congressional oversight of U.S. policy on Yemen, provide leverage to push the stakeholders in Yemen’s civil war toward a political process, address the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and demand meaningful accountability for the murder of Khashoggi.