U.S. senators expect to get a briefing next week from senior Trump administration officials on Saudi Arabia that could determine whether Congress goes forward with sanctions on the longtime U.S. ally, The Hill reported.
Two congressional sources said an “all-senators briefing” is expected when the Senate returns to Washington after the Thanksgiving recess.
The briefing could determine whether there’s any chance of passing sanctions legislation or blocking a major arms sale to Saudi Arabia in the end-of-year session.
“That will be really important,” said a Senate GOP aide. “I’m not sure adding sanctions will happen but the Saudi situation is not over.”
The scheduled topic of the briefing is the civil war in Yemen, where a Saudi coalition backed by the U.S. military is fighting against Houthi rebels.
However, the topic of Saudi Arabia’s role in the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi will also come up during the meeting, as could a discussion about U.S.-Russia policy, said a second congressional source.
The source said Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will likely conduct the briefing, although that has not yet been finalized.
