News

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today joined Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA) Todd Young (R-IN) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing a Senate Resolution that urges the Administration to hold accountable the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and all parties involved for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
 
“Our values as Americans must be central to our foreign policy.  Saudi Arabia is an important ally but not an ally at any cost.  There is no doubt that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, condoned it, and at worst was actually involved in directing it,” Rubio said. “The U.S. must demand accountability and press for the release of all Saudi political prisoners, including blogger Raif Badawi and women’s rights activists.”
 
The Graham-Feinstein-Rubio-Markey-Young-Coons Resolution:
 

• condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;
• finds that as Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman was in control of the security forces at the time of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder;
• based on evidence and analysis made available to this institution, the Senate has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi;
• urges the United States Government and the international community to hold all parties, including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable;
• calls on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to negotiate directly with representatives of the Houthi movement in order to end the war in Yemen, agree on a political resolution, reverse the humanitarian crisis, and refocus efforts on defeating al Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen;
• calls on the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to negotiate a political solution to its dispute with Qatar expeditiously and in a way that restores diplomatic relations with Qatar; and
• urges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to immediately release Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, the Saudi women’s rights activists, and other detained political prisoners.

 
Full text of the resolution is attached.