Several House Democrats on Thursday announced a Joint Resolution of Disapproval seeking to prevent the Trump administration’s proposed civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia from taking effect.
Representative Gregory W. Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined lawmakers Brad Sherman, John Garamendi and Don Beyer in opposing the agreement. They argued that the proposed deal lacks important nuclear nonproliferation safeguards, including limits on uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel reprocessing, as well as adoption of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol.
The lawmakers said the agreement represents a significant departure from long-standing US nonproliferation practices and could create serious security risks.
President Donald Trump submitted the proposed nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress last month for review. Under the congressional process, lawmakers have 90 session days to examine the arrangement.
The proposed 30-year agreement would give US companies a major role in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure while limiting the involvement of foreign competitors in much of the project.
The deal has generated controversy because it could potentially permit Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium domestically. Lawmakers and nuclear nonproliferation advocates have raised concerns that such a provision could contribute to the expansion of nuclear capabilities across the Middle East.
Meeks, Sherman, Garamendi and Beyer said their resolution seeks to block the agreement until stronger safeguards are included.
They argued that approving the deal without additional protections could increase regional nuclear proliferation risks and potentially contribute to a wider nuclear arms race.
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