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If
it were to become law, the bill would suspend weapon sales to
Saudi Arabia and prohibit U.S. refueling of Saudi coalition
aircraft for Riyadh's campaign in Yemen against the Houthis,
Shi'ite Muslim fighters that Yemen's neighbors view as agents of
Iran, the lawmakers said.
It also would impose sanctions on anyone blocking humanitarian
access in Yemen and anyone supporting the Houthis in Yemen.
Sponsored by three Republican and three Democratic senators, the
legislation reflects continued dissatisfaction in the U.S.
Congress over the Yemen war, which has killed more than 10,000
people and created the world's most urgent humanitarian crisis.
That frustration was exacerbated by the killing in October at
the Saudi consulate in Istanbul of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a
U.S. resident who wrote for the Washington Post.
Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, said sanctions on 17 Saudis announced
earlier on Thursday by President Donald Trump's administration
were not enough to ensure a credible investigation of
Khashoggi's death and an end to hostilities in Yemen.
"We are putting teeth behind these demands with regular
oversight, sanctions and suspension of weapons sales and
refueling support," he said in a statement.
"This legislation is an important way to hold Saudi Arabia
accountable for various acts in Yemen as well as the death of
Jamal Khashoggi," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham,
another sponsor.
The bill's other sponsors include Republican Senators Todd Young
and Susan Collins and Democrats Jack Reed and Jeanne Shaheen.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Grant McCool)
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