Democratic lawmakers called for retaliatory measures against Saudi Arabia after the “OPEC Plus” decision to reduce oil production by 2 million barrels per day, starting next month.
US President Biden said he was disappointed in the decision by OPEC+ and considered it as a ‘hostile act’ and “aligning with Russia.”
The Democratic Representatives introduced a bill that would withdraw US forces and weapons systems from Saudi Arabia.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “We are looking at all the legislative tools to best deal with this appalling and deeply cynical action,” including the NOPEC bill.”
“What Saudi Arabia did to help Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans,” Schumer said in a tweet.
The number 2 Senate Democratic leader, Sen. Dick Durbin, tweeted sharp criticism of the Saudi royal family, saying they have “never been a trustworthy ally” and “it’s time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance.”
“From unanswered questions about 9/11 and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, to conspiring with Putin to punish the US with higher oil prices, the royal Saudi family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation. It’s time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance,” he wrote on Twitter.
For his part, Chairman of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, said “by slashing oil production during an international energy crisis, Saudi Arabia is aiding Russia’s war on Ukraine and adding to pain at the pump.”
Continued US dependence on Saudi Arabia is a threat to our national security. And our dependence on oil is a threat to our planet, he added.
The updates have been widely covered by western media. Bloomberg said that the White House is considering its next steps after OPEC+ decided to cut oil production, a move that could juice prices at the pump just before November’s elections.
The Bloomberg writer Bobby Ghosh stressed that Biden should hit Saudi Arabia where it really hurts.
Ghosh called on the US President to “treat Saudi Arabia like many another country with which the US routinely does business, and reduce its diplomatic relationship accordingly.”
MBS Under Fire
The Financial Times considered the move to reduce production now as part of a broader struggle for control of the global oil market.
An angry White House has hinted that it may now release more oil from America’s stockpile. US lawmakers are calling for the revival of the so-called NOPEC legislation, which is aimed at suppressing oil cartels, the paper reads.
The Saudi crown prince risks overusing his hand, as he has often done in the past, it further added.
Along the same line, US Axios website published a report by Aliana Trini and Hans Nichols under the title “Biden’s new Saudi strategy” in reference to the Saudi decision to reduce oil production.
With a new warning that the White House might support legislation targeting OPEC+ in Congress, Biden crossed a symbolic threshold — and sent a clear signal to the Saudis that he’s prepared to escalate, the report said.
“President Biden … should call the King himself,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios. “He should say you have five days to reverse your decision. If not, I am going to work with Congress to pass a ban on supplying air parts to your Air Force.
“The American people have had enough. We will not be bullied by a third-rate power that is committing human rights atrocities.”
This indicates that Biden is now at odds with the two entities — Big Oil companies and Big Oil countries — that have the power to solve his most pressing domestic political problem: rising prices at the pump.
The Guardian also commented on the move, saying that there are fears in the west as Russia and Saudi Arabia deepen ties as they both started wars in neighbouring countries, hold significant sway over energy markets, known to brook no dissent and to covet spots in history.
