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Democrat Chris Murphy and Republican Mike Lee introduced the
resolution under a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act that
allows Congress to vote to request information on a particular
country's human rights practices.
If the resolution passes, the administration must submit the
report within 30 days, or all security assistance to the country
automatically stops.
After the report is received, the act stipulates that Congress
may adopt a joint resolution terminating, restricting or
continuing security assistance to that country.
Murphy, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's
Mideast subcommittee, said it was the first attempt to make use
of the clause.
Aides said it was too soon to assess how the resolution would be
received, but they hoped it would trigger a broader conversation
about human rights.
While Washington considers Riyadh an important partner in the
Middle East, many lawmakers criticize its involvement in the war
in Yemen, considered one of the world's worst humanitarian
disasters, as well rights violations such as executions of
political prisoners.
Last year, there were calls to freeze cooperation with Saudi
Arabia, including most arms sales, amid accusations that it
helped underwrite the Russian war with Ukraine after OPEC+
announced it would cut oil production.
The kingdom is a major customer for U.S. weapons and aerospace
equipment. Two of its airlines just agreed to buy 78 Boeing
aircraft and took options to buy another 43. The list price for
78 planes would total nearly $37 billion.
Murphy, long a vocal critic of the conflict in Yemen and
Riyadh's record on human rights, praised Biden for being willing
to reassess ties. But he said the country needs to do more.
"When we cozy up to these brutal dictators, who engage in some
of the most brazen, brutal repression of democracy and free
speech, it gravely harms our efforts to save global democracy,"
Murphy told reporters.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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