{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-krishnamoorthi-and-norcross-warn-trump-administration-against", "Courtney, Krishnamoorthi, and Norcross Warn Trump Administration Against Risks of F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Expanding Saudi\u2013PRC Military Ties", "2025-11-19", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Joe Courtney", "C001069", "courtney.house.gov", "courtney", "https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, partnered with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, today to raise serious national-security concerns regarding President Trump\u2019s proposal to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the members warn that the sale could expose some of America\u2019s most sensitive military technology to the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC), given Beijing\u2019s rapidly expanding security, and digital-infrastructure footprint in Saudi Arabia.\n\nThere is clear precedent for blocking access to the F-35 when a partner\u2019s defense relationship with an adversary puts U.S. technology at risk. During his first term, President Trump removed Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara acquired the Russian-made S-400 air-defense system\u2014despite Turkey being a NATO ally. The members note that this decision underscores the need for \u201cthe highest, strictest scrutiny\u201d now, as Saudi Arabia\u2019s military and digital cooperation with the PRC is significantly deeper and more concerning.\n\nThe lawmakers write:\n\n\u201cIf this deal is completed, Riyadh will gain full access to some of the United States\u2019 most prized, cutting-edge military technology. Given Saudi Arabia\u2019s deepening military ties with the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC), such a sale has the potential to severely jeopardize U.S. national security if Riyadh were to share any of the F-35\u2019s technology or operational know-how with Beijing.\u201d\n\nThey further note:\n\n\u201cAs the PRC and Saudi Arabia deepen their security and infrastructure cooperation, we remain skeptical that U.S. military technology will be duly protected\u2026 U.S. air supremacy is a zero-sum game and any advantage our adversaries gain on our capabilities\u2026 puts that status at risk.\u201d\n\nThe members request answers by December 3, 2025, to the following questions:\n\nWhat consultations with Congress and what interagency process has the Administration undertaken to ensure that security concerns about Saudi Arabia sharing F-35 technology with the PRC, including concerns expressed by the Pentagon\u2019s own intelligence agency, are fully accounted for before finalizing a sale?\n\nTo what extent does the Saudi Ministry of Defense use communications and digital services provided by PRC companies, including Huawei and China Telecom, and how does the Administration plan to ensure Beijing is not able to steal sensitive F-35 technology via its significant presence in Saudi Arabia\u2019s digital infrastructure?\n\nWhat risk do the Departments of Defense and State assess there is that Saudi Arabia could transfer F-35 technology to the PRC in exchange for Beijing\u2019s provision of ballistic missiles and other advanced technology to Riyadh?\n\nHas the Administration requested Saudi Arabia terminate its military and digital cooperation with the PRC as a provision of the United States agreeing to sell it the F-35?\n\nThe letter is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-krishnamoorthi-and-norcross-warn-trump-administration-against"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.3029367439448833, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}