白宫周二表示，美国总统乔·拜登认为，美国需要“重新评估”与沙特的关系，特别是鉴于欧佩克+石油卡特尔决定减产。
白宫发言人约翰·柯比说:“我认为总统已经非常清楚，这是一种我们需要继续重新评估的关系，我们需要愿意重新审视。”美国有线电视新闻网的采访。"当然，根据石油输出国组织的判决，我认为他在那里."
以沙特和俄国为首的产油国集团欧佩克+上周宣布将大幅削减产量，以提振油价。
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022.
路透社报道，沙特皇家法院
柯比说，拜登“将愿意与国会合作，因为我们正在思考与沙特阿拉伯的正确关系需要向前发展。”
后来，白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔说，“上周，当石油输出国组织决定将他们的能源政策与俄国的战争联系起来时...进一步强调重新调整这种关系的理由，重新评估与沙特阿拉伯的关系。”
参议院外交关系委员会主席、新泽西州民主党参议员鲍勃·梅嫩德斯周一表示呼吁美国“立即冻结我们与沙特阿拉伯合作的所有方面，包括任何武器销售和安全合作，但不包括保卫美国人员和利益绝对必要的合作。”
梅嫩德斯列举了沙特阿拉伯在1960年后对俄国的财政支持它对乌克兰的入侵。
随着政府着眼于与国会就美国与沙特阿拉伯的关系进行对话，他对沙特阿拉伯的强硬立场似乎正在获得其他参议院民主党人的支持。
周二，在一次旨在为下个月的国防授权法案进行审议的简短会议上，参议院军事委员会主席杰克·里德(Jack Reed)告诉记者，他“非常支持梅嫩德斯”以及他为结束对沙特的武器销售和安全合作所做的努力。
“我认为我们应该仔细检查我们发给他们的所有东西，”里德说。“因为他们无力与西方合作，却愿意与俄罗斯合作，这非常令人不安。”
上周，担任参议院司法委员会主席的伊利诺伊州民主党参议员迪克·德宾呼吁参议院通过一项法案，允许司法部起诉石油卡特尔成员违反反垄断法，包括他所说的“石油输出国组织及其合作伙伴操纵价格”。
与民主党人进行党团会议的佛蒙特州独立参议员安格斯·金(Angus King)表示，他同意停止向沙特阿拉伯输送武器的提议。
“我们为什么要这样?如果他们不关心国际安全和世界经济的稳定，我们为什么要帮助他们?”金说。
柯比说，拜登愿意“马上”与国会展开对话。
在政府宣布打算与国会合作后，民主党参议员理查德·布卢门撒尔(Richard Blumenthal)和众议员罗·卡纳(Roe Khanna)周二提出了一项立法，将停止美国向沙特阿拉伯出售武器。
“这一简单而紧急的措施将停止美国对沙特阿拉伯的武器销售，此前他们犯下了极具进攻性和破坏性的错误:在这一历史性时刻与俄罗斯站在一起。沙特阿拉伯必须扭转其石油供应削减，这种削减帮助并助长了俄罗斯的野蛮犯罪入侵，危及世界经济，并威胁到美国加油站的更高油价。我们不能继续向一个与可恶的恐怖主义对手结盟的国家出售高度敏感的武器技术，”布卢门撒尔说。
欧佩克+的举动可能会推高油价，进而提高美国的汽油价格。油价上涨可能会在今年秋季中期选举前对拜登和民主党造成政治伤害。
拜登6月份前往沙特阿拉伯，部分原因是为了推动沙特领导人增加产量。
在欧佩克+上周宣布减产后，拜登的首席经济顾问布莱恩·迪斯(Brian Deese)告诉记者，白宫将“围绕这一后端的一系列问题，与国会密切评估和磋商。”
白宫国家经济委员会主任迪斯拒绝透露拜登政府是否认为，如果这个海湾国家不愿意保持美国天然气价格较低，美国应该继续向沙特阿拉伯提供武器和其他军事援助。
Biden thinks US needs to 'reevaluate' relationship with Saudi Arabia: White House
President Joe Biden thinks the United States needs to "reevaluate" its relationship with Saudi Arabia, especially in light of the decision by the OPEC+ oil cartel to cut production, the White House said Tuesday.
"I think the president's been very clear that this is a relationship that we need to continue to reevaluate, that we need to be willing to revisit," White House spokesman John Kirby said inan interview with CNN. "And certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that's where he is."
OPEC+, a group of oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, announced last week it would significantly slash production in order to boost oil prices.
Kirby said Biden "is going to be willing to work with Congress as we think about what the right relationship with Saudi Arabia needs to be going forward."
Later, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "Last week, when OPEC made the decision to align their energy policy with Russia's war ... further underscores that reasoning to realign that relationship, to reevaluate that relationship with Saudi Arabia."
Sen. Bob Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Mondaycalled on the U.S.to "immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests."
Menendez cited Saudi Arabia's financial support for Russia afterits invasion of Ukraine.
His get-tough-on-Saudi-Arabia stance seems to be gaining traction with other Senate Democrats as the administration eyes conversations with Congress about the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday, during a brief meeting meant to tee-up consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act next month, Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, told reporters that he is "very supportive of Menendez" and his efforts to end arm sales and security cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
"I think we should look carefully at everything we're sending them," Reed said. "Because their inability to cooperate with the West and their willingness to cooperate with Russia is very disturbing."
Last week, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on the Senate to pass a bill that would allow the Justice Department to sue oil cartel members for antitrust violations, including, he said, "price fixing by OPEC" and its partners.
Sen. Angus King, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he agrees with proposals to cease sending arms to Saudi Arabia.
"Why should we? If they don't have any ore concern for international security and stability of the world economy, why should we be helping them?" King said.
Biden would be willing to start conversations with Congress "right away," Kirby said.
Following the administration's announced intention to work with with Congress, Democrats Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Roe Khanna introduced legislation Tuesday that would stop U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
"This simple yet urgent measure would halt U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia after their deeply offensive, destructive blunder: siding with Russia at this historic moment. Saudis must reverse their oil supply cuts, which aid and abet Russia’s savage criminal invasion, endanger the world economy, and threaten higher gas prices at U.S. pumps. We cannot continue selling highly sensitive arms technology to a nation aligned with an abhorrent terrorist adversary,” Blumenthal said.
The move by OPEC+ could send oil prices higher, which in turn, could raise prices at the gas pump in the United States. Higher gas prices could hurt Biden and Democrats politically heading into this fall's midterm elections.
Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in June to, in part, push the kingdom's leaders to increase production.
After OPEC+ announced the production cut last week, Biden's top economic adviser, Brian Deese, told reporters the White House would "be assessing and consulting closely with Congress around a range of issues on the back end of this."
Deese, the director of the White House National Economic Council, declined to say whether the Biden administration thought the U.S. should continue to provide weapons and other military assistance to Saudi Arabia if the Gulf nation was not willing to keep the price of gas in the U.S. lower.
