Murphy: US relationship with Saudis ‘broken’

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday called for a reassessment of the U.S. military alliance with Saudi Arabia after the country and its oil-exporting allies agreed to a production cut, describing the decades-long partnership as “broken.”

Speaking with co-anchor Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Murphy lambasted OPEC+’s cut of 2 million oil barrels per day that will likely lead to price gains, which came after President Biden visited Saudi Arabia in July to appeal to the oil-rich nation while drawing controversy given its human rights record.

“I don’t have any problem with American presidents meeting with our friends or adversaries,” Murphy said on Sunday. “I think it’s clear that right now the relationship is broken. But it’s been broken under Democratic presidents and Republican presidents.”

OPEC+ announced a production increase following Biden’s visit, but the jump was smaller than the White House had hoped. 

The oil cartel’s cut has prompted some lawmakers, including Murphy, to rethink Washington’s alliance with Saudi Arabia, which routinely purchases American weapons and houses U.S. troops.

“We sell massive amounts of arms to the Saudis,” Murphy said on CNN. “I think we need to rethink those sales. I think we need to lift the exemption that we have given this OPEC+ cartel from U.S. price-fixing liability. I think we need to look at our true presence in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.”

The U.S. has long maintained its military partnership with the Saudis for years despite the countries’ sometimes rocky relationship.

Saudi royals garnered harsh criticism from the U.S. and human rights advocates in particular after the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. intelligence officials have concluded was directed by the Saudi crown prince.

Biden had vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” during his 2020 campaign before ultimately meeting with the Saudi crown prince as the globe faced high inflation and energy prices that surged in part after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“For years, we have looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political repression, for one reason: We wanted to know that when the chips were down, when there was a global crisis, that the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia,” Murphy told Tapper.

“Well, they didn’t. They chose Russia,” Murphy added.

Russia is part of the OPEC+ alliance that agreed to an oil production cut, likely boosting the price of oil on global markets and enabling Moscow to more easily finance its invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and its Group of Seven allies have sought to cap the price of Russian oil exports, although a final deal, including a specific price point, has yet to materialize.