[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4088. Mr. RUBIO submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the joint resolution S.J. Res. 54, to direct the removal of 
United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen 
that have not been authorized by Congress; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the end, add the following:

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED 
                   STATES AND THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA.

       It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have 
     maintained a close and productive relationship for most of 
     the years since establishing relations in 1933;
       (2) the United States seeks to continue a constructive and 
     strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 
     based on both our mutual interests as well as a growing 
     agreement on the values of human rights, democracy, and the 
     rule of law, which are the cornerstone of any strong and 
     lasting relationship with the United States; and
       (3) there have been numerous Saudi actions since January 
     2015 that have threatened the comity between our two nations, 
     including--
       (A) the continued jailing of prisoner of conscience Raif 
     Badawi in Saudi Arabia, who received 50 lashes in 2015 that 
     nearly killed him;
       (B) the imprisonment of women's rights activists in May of 
     this year by Saudi government authorities, and, according to 
     media reports, their torture while in custody, including Raif 
     Badawi's sister, Samar;
       (C) the premeditated murder of Washington Post writer and 
     Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi government authorities 
     in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after being called there 
     by his government;
       (D) the Government of Saudi Arabia's disastrous war in 
     Yemen, which, while trying to rid Yemen of Iranian influence, 
     has created a humanitarian nightmare that has killed tens of 
     thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands, impoverished 
     millions, and pushed the country to the brink of massive 
     famine; and
       (E) a reckless diplomatic and economic confrontation with 
     the State of Qatar, a Gulf Cooperation Council Member and 
     regional partner of the United States on counterterrorism and 
     regional security.
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