Bipartisan Group of US Senators Pushes for Hearing on Anti-Saudi Legislation - Corker
A bipartisan group of US Senators is pushing for a hearing on several legislative proposals aimed at Saudi Arabia in response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Senator Bob Corker said in an interview on Thursday.
"There's a lot of momentum," Corker told CNN after a meeting to determine the next steps with respect to the potential hearing. "Not everyone supports every effort, but I would like all of the efforts to have a hearing."
Lawmakers have offered three proposals: Curtailing the US involvement in the Saudi-led war against Yemen; suspending all arms sales between the United States and Saudi Arabia; and issuing a resolution officially blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Khashoggi's murder.
The group of bipartisan senators aiming to strike a deal includes Republicans Todd Young and Lindsey Graham, along with Democrats Bob Menendez and Chris Murphy.
Khashoggi went missing during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Saudi Arabia initially insisted that the journalist left the consulate unharmed, but later admitted that he was killed and dismembered on the premises. Riyadh insists that the killing was a rogue operation in which the crown prince was not involved.
Multiple US Senators have said the complicity of crown prince in the murder is overwhelmingly supported by the evidence in the case.