House Dems introducing GOP-inspired bill to strip defenses from Saudi Arabia, UAE following OPEC oil cut

House Democrats are pushing a bill to remove U.S. defenses from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after OPEC decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s drastic cut in oil production, despite President Biden’s overtures to both countries in recent months, is a hostile act against the United States and a clear signal that they have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine," the three Democrats said in a joint statement. "Both countries have long relied on an American military presence in the Gulf to protect their security and oil fields. We see no reason why American troops and contractors should continue to provide this service to countries that are actively working against us. If Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to help Putin, they should look to him for their defense."

The House members went on to call OPEC’s decision "a turning point in our relationship with our Gulf partners" and said that if the UAE and Saudi Arabia want to continue having a relationship with the U.S., they need to work with the U.S. "in advancing what is now our most urgent national security objective: the defeat of Russia's aggression in Ukraine." They claimed that "by significantly boosting global oil prices, OPEC’s decision appears designed to increase Russia’s oil export revenues, enabling Putin to continue his war crimes in Ukraine, and undercutting Western sanctions."