releases: https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-us-saudi-relationship-i-think-we-should-have-a-complete-re-examination
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-sen-coons-on-us-saudi-relationship-i-think-we-should-have-a-complete-re-examination | [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on US-Saudi relationship: “I think we should have a complete re-examination” | 2018-12-14 | 2018 | 2018-12 | Democrat | House | DE | Christopher Coons | C001088 | www.coons.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.18 [VIDEO] Sen. Coons on US-Saudi relationship: I think we should have a complete re-examination Sen. Coons: We're not just a country of interests. We're not just another great power. We're a country that is great because of our values. WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this morning joined MSNBC's Morning Joe. When our president hears therelevant intelligence, isbriefed on the securityconsequences and on all thosechilling details and says, Idon't know, I'm not sure who tobelieve, I'm not sure what weought to do, they are a great partner,they buy a lot of weapons fromus.That suggests our relationshipwith the Saudi kingdom is rootedonly in arm sales and access toenergy.That degrades the United States.That makes us not only not greatagain but that goes at the verycore of what has made us greatwhich is being clear about ourvalues, priorities.So refusing to stand up for thefreedom of the press and defend anAmerican resident journalistweakens our country and having apartnership even following thisincident with no accountabilityfor it profoundly weakens ourcountry,said Senator Coons. Video and audio availablehere. Excerpts from the interview are below: Sen. Coons on the border:Mika, absolutely.This calls on all of us to bringa moral lens to this story, tolook at how we're treatingfamilies, families withchildren, families who arecoming to this country out ofdesperation.My predecessor, Joe Biden, whenhe was Vice President led aneffort to invest in trying tostabilize and improve thequality of life, the rule of lawin countries like Guatemala andHonduras and El Salvador so tensof thousands of parents wouldn'tfeel compelled by violence and disorder inthose countries to risk thethousands of miles of traveloften across desert to try andmake it to our southern border.That's a policy that wassupported in a bipartisan wayhere in Congress but thisadministration has cut thefunding for those programssignificantly over the last twoyears.I think we should do everythingwe can to help make surefamilies don't feel compelled tomake that risky trip, but oncethey do, border patrol needs todo everything they can to avoidthis kind of senseless andneedless loss of life,particularly for children whopresent at our border in reallyterrible condition. Sen. Coons on Yemen:I think the chances arefairly strong, Joe, becausenumber of senators bothRepublican and Democrat who havehad grave concerns about theconduct of the war in Yemen fora long time but hadn't spokenout about it, hadn't votedagainst it and who now have as aresult of the brutal abduction,torture and murder of JamalKhashoggi an American residentjournalist that's what changedthe view of so many in theSenate with whom I voted andspoken about this issue, wasboth that particular incidentand the ways in which PresidentTrump failed to step up andteach about America's values.You know, we're not just acountry of interests.We're not just another greatpower.We're a country that is greatbecause of our values.The utter failure to stand upfor and protect a journalist, an American resident journalist with American citizen children, has galvanizedbipartisan action in the Senateand the point you make, Joe, isan important one.Although this was a significantvote yesterday in the Senate,there's no chance that theRepublican controlled House willtake it up and pass it beforethe end of this session.Early next year I think weshould consider this issue againand take stronger action withteeth in way that our Housecolleagues in the DemocraticParty can then put on thepresident's desk to force him toact on this issue. More on Saudi Arabia:This is the sort of thing,Willie, I think the ForeignRelations Committee of theSenate should look at in detail.For a long time, we had a close,strategic partnership with theSaudi kingdom.They are a key bulwark against Iran and against Iran's expansionism, their support of terrorism in the region.But some of the recent adventures that MBS has dragged us along on, not just this tragic war in Yemen, but also their actions against Qatar,his actions in Lebanon and for a long time the ways inwhich the Saudi kingdom hassupported and exported a fairlyextreme version of Islam has tomake us reconsider the depth ofthis relationship.How many more incidents likethis, tragedy in the Saudiconsulate in Istanbul will weget dragged into if we don'tbegin to draw some differentlines in terms of our prioritiesfor the U.S.-Saudi relationship?So I think we should have acomplete re-examination.What we haven't heard yet fromSecretary Pompeo is a realopenness to a reconsideration ofour relationship with theSaudis. More on the Middle East:I do share that concern,David.A number of my colleagues havecome out and fairly boldly said:What should happen to the CrownPrince?Who should be the next leader ofSaudi Arabia?And I think we're on stronger,better footing if we put forwardour values and our prioritiesand make it clear what thelimits are to our partnershipwith the Saudis.That's what the vote yesterdaywas really about, was sayingthat the conduct of the war inYemen, the humanitarianconsequences of the war in Yemenare a step too far for us.We've already seen some positivemovement in the peace talksbetween the Houthis and the legitimate Yemen government, particularly in regard to the port in Hudaydah and thedelivery of humanitarian relief.That's an encouraging firstsign.I don't think we should bespecifically saying whether theCrown Prince can or can't leadSaudi Arabia, but insteadputting our values, prioritiesforward and then making it clearwe won't be supporting furtheradventurism and further actionsin particular actions to try todo the sort of extreme thinglike kidnapping and murdering acritic of the Saudi royalfamily. More on Saudi Arabia:Joe, that's exactly why thishas been such a galvanizingincident.You concisely summarized themost chilling parts of thisparticular incident and I thinkwe need to send a clear messagethat that style of leadership isnot going to lead to an enduringAmerican partnership with theSaudi kingdom and to be clearabout our priorities.When our president hears therelevant intelligence, isbriefed on the securityconsequences and on all thosechilling details and says, Idon't know, I'm not sure who tobelieve, I'm not sure what weought to do, they are a great partner,they buy a lot of weapons fromus.That suggests our relationshipwith the Saudi kingdom is rootedonly in arm sales and access toenergy.That degrades the United States.That makes us not only not greatagain but that goes at the verycore of what has made us greatwhich is being clear about ourvalues, priorities.So refusing to stand up for thefreedom of the press and defend anAmerican resident journalistweakens our country and having apartnership even following thisincident with no accountabilityfor it profoundly weakens ourcountry. ### Press Contact Sean Coit at 202-224-5042 orSean_Coit@coons.senate.gov Print Email Tweet Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |