{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr643-116/featured_to-prohibit-the-provision-of-united-states-security-assistance-to-the-government-of-saudi-arabia-and-for-other--1550118941.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr643-116/featured_large_to-prohibit-the-provision-of-united-states-security-assistance-to-the-government-of-saudi-arabia-and-for-other--1550118941.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr643-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-01-17","title_override":"Should U.S. Military Aid and Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia Be Cut Off?","summary_override":"

This bill would direct the Defense Secretary to immediately cease U.S. arms sales and other military aid to the Saudi Arabian government. Beginning on the date of this bill’s enactment, the U.S. would stop providing security assistance, intelligence, training, equipment, or services relating to maintenance, testing, or technical data to the Saudi Arabian government and its agents. It’d also stop engaging in defense cooperation with the Saudi government and its agents. There’d be an exception for Dept. of Defense activities related to the protection of U.S. diplomatic and consular posts or personnel, or the evacuation of U.S. citizens.

The U.S. would also immediately cease arms sales to the Saudi government and its agents. The president would be prohibited from selling, transfering, delivering, licensing for exporting, authorizing the performance of services related to, or otherwise making available defense articles, defense services, defense design and construction services.

On a case-by-case basis, the prohibitions in this bill would be waived if: 1) the president submits a request for a specific activity to the appropriate congressional committees, and 2) a joint resolution approving the waiver is enacted.

This bill also requires a report to Congress on:

How U.S. defense cooperation with and support of Saudi Arabia’s government serves the U.S. national interest;
The status of the U.S. investigation into the people who authorized, ordered, carried out, had knowledge of, or helped cover up Saudi journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi’s killing, as well as the extent to which each person has been prosecuted or otherwise held accountable for their conduct; and
The status of human rights protection, including freedom of the press, in Saudi Arabia.

","official_title":"To prohibit the provision of United States security assistance to the Government of Saudi Arabia, and for other purposes.","short_title":"To prohibit the provision of United States security assistance to the Government of Saudi Arabia, and for other purposes.","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"U.S.-based defense companies and contractors; arms sales; U.S.-Saudi Arabia defense cooperation; Saudi Arabia; Congress; Saudi Arabia; DOD; the Defense Secretary; and the president.","argument_for":"Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul violated international norms, human rights, and international law. The Saudi government needs to be punished for this transgression — and ending U.S. military aid and arms sales will hit them where it hurts. ","argument_against":"The Saudi government has already arrested multiple people in connection with Khashoggi’s death, and is prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn’t make sense to hold U.S. and Saudi national security interests hostage to a single incident, no matter how horrific.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr643-116","bill_id":"hr643-116","formal_id":"H.R. 643","chamber":"house","congress":116,"last_action_at":"2019-01-17T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/643","plain_text_url":null,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr643-116.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/643/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":null,"related_bill_ids":null,"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":683,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Foreign Affairs","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSFA","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr643-116","details":"/api/bills/hr643-116/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr643-116","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr643-116/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr643-116/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":21,"slug":"hr643-116-to-prohibit-the-provision-of-united-states-security-assistance-to-the-government-of-saudi-arabia-and-for-other-purposes","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":3439,"yea_vote_count":2965,"nay_vote_count":467,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["defense","international-trade-and-affairs"],"issue_ids":["human-rights","defense","international-trade-and-affairs","middle-east"],"sponsor_id":324}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"human-rights","name":"Human Rights","slug":"human-rights","description":"The protection of human rights is among the core values of the United States. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to the U.S.'s efforts to protect human rights!","page_title":"Human Rights Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/human-rights/black_human-rights-1429042059.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/human-rights/grey_human-rights-1429042059.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/human-rights/white_human-rights-1429042059.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"defense","name":"Defense","slug":"defense","description":"Federal legislation related to Defense spending, the active duty military, intelligence activities, war powers and veterans’ care. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.","page_title":"US Armed forces and Defense related Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/defense/black_defense-1429042040.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/defense/grey_defense-1429042040.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/defense/white_defense-1429042040.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"international-trade-and-affairs","name":"International Trade & Affairs","slug":"international-trade-and-affairs","description":"U.S. Congressional Legislation encompassing arms control treaties, human rights, international law, sanctions, and foreign aid. Recent legislation addressed approving the use of military force against ISIS (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, the emerging situation in the Ukraine and Ebola. ","page_title":"US Federal legislation related to Foreign Aid, International Trade and Relations and Human Rights - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/black_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/grey_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/white_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"middle-east","name":"Middle East","slug":"middle-east","description":"The decisions of the U.S. Congress regarding the Middle East are critical in maintaining peace in the region, as well as the world. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to the Middle East!","page_title":"Middle East Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/middle-east/black_middle-east-1429042055.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/middle-east/grey_middle-east-1429042055.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/middle-east/white_middle-east-1429042055.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Nathaniel","vote_count":320,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/1662781380401625/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/1662781380401625/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/1662781380401625/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/1662781380401625/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/3W1no7nZ/following","followers":"/api/users/3W1no7nZ/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":18,"is_following":null,"influence_score":140,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":4,"position_count":163,"id":"3W1no7nZ","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"f8823a16-7f44-4427-b30c-0463fc8b5ace","argument_for":"Cut the aid in half at first. Give them a year to change their ways. If they reform, give them the full aid. If not, then remove the whole aid.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/f8823a16-7f44-4427-b30c-0463fc8b5ace"},"body":"Cut the aid in half at first. Give them a year to change their ways. If they reform, give them the full aid. If not, then remove the whole aid.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2019-05-05T00:54:14.377Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/f8823a16-7f44-4427-b30c-0463fc8b5ace.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr643-116","user_id":"3W1no7nZ","endorser_ids":[]}}

Like Causes?

Nathaniel

Should U.S. Military Aid and Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia Be Cut Off?