On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) argued that President Joe Biden has decided to “stand down” on his position on holding Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and part of the reason for this change is the U.S. needing Saudi Arabia to boost oil production to bring down gas prices. Connolly added that if Biden is going to be consistent, he should be willing to also pull back restrictions on refining and drilling for oil in America.
Connolly stated, “I believe President Biden was right when he was candidate Biden about this relationship and holding to account the individual who was complicit in and ordered the brutal murder and dismemberment of my constituent, Jamal Khashoggi, and that is the Crown Prince.”
Connolly added, “I believe that he’s had counsel from some in the State Department, some on the National Security Council that the need to bring MBS, the Crown Prince, to account, to justice for his involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi has to be weighed against other concerns. We’re experiencing a huge inflationary spiral in the price of oil. We need Saudi Arabia to produce more of it if we’re going to bring down the cost of gasoline here in the United States. The Saudis have been reluctant to support sanctions against Russia in the Ukrainian war, and we need their help there. So, I think that he’s getting advice that if you want their cooperation they’ve made it very clear you’ve got to stand down on your original position.”
Host Erin Burnett then added, “I will say for, just a point of consistency, if he thinks it’s worth it to bring down oil prices to — or gas prices to do business with Saudi Arabia, wouldn’t it be consistent, then, to be open to pulling back some of the restrictions on refining in the U.S. or drilling in the U.S. as well?”
Connolly responded, “Presumably. But I think we have to all ask ourselves, all of that’s interesting and fine and important, but at what price? I mean, a man was murdered by the number two official in a foreign government. That can’t be acceptable in terms of U.S. interests or U.S. foreign policy and it ought not to be acceptable to the president of the United States.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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