Democrats propose bill to strike down controversial Saudi nuclear deal
Congress has 90 days to review the agreement on nuclear energy projects.
Democratic lawmakers are introducing legislation to challenge a recent nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia. A bill has been proposed by Reps. Gregory Meeks, Brad Sherman, John Garamendi, and Don Beyer to disapprove of the deal during a 90-day congressional review period. The agreement, known as a 123 agreement, allows American companies to collaborate on numerous nuclear energy projects in Saudi Arabia.
However, critics argue it fails to meet international standards for transparency and oversight, potentially enabling nuclear proliferation. The terms of the deal limit inspections to declared nuclear sites, rather than allowing for more comprehensive inspections as in previous agreements. This approach has raised concerns among security experts and members of Congress about the risk of Saudi Arabia developing nuclear weapons.
Despite calls for declassification of certain documents, lawmakers are unlikely to achieve a veto-proof majority in the Republican-controlled Congress. Nonetheless, they may pursue a strategy of passing a law that imposes conditions on the nuclear agreement.
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