Democratic senator says ‘there’s got to be consequences’ for Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announces oil production cuts

Democratic senator says ‘there’s got to be consequences’ for Saudi Arabia after OPEC+ announces oil production cuts

CNN – A Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Sunday that “there’s got to be consequences” after Saudi Arabia and a cartel of major oil producers moved to slash oil production last week in a move the White House said was “shortsighted” and hurtful to low and middle-income countries.

“There’s got to be consequences for that. Whether it’s lifting the cartel’s immunity or whether it’s rethinking our troop presence there, our security relationship, I just think it’s time to admit that the Saudis are not looking out for us,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union,” referring to the US’ military presence in the Middle East.

“For years we have looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political repression, for one reason: we wanted to know that when the chips were down, when there was a global crisis, that the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia,” the senator said. “Well, they didn’t. They chose Russia.”

Last week, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, said that it will slash oil production by 2 million barrels per