WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and lead author of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, issued the following statement regarding the White House and Saudi Arabia.

“Outrageous and unprecedented. The United States of America is supposed to stand up for justice and human rights at home and abroad. For the president to knowingly come to the defense of an individual who it appears ordered the murder of a political critic, is something I thought the world would never witness. I agree that Saudi Arabia is a strong ally in a variety of important areas, but that should only strengthen their understanding of America’s commitment to the rule of law and that we, as a nation, cannot sanction extrajudicial killings. America’s national security is harmed, not helped, when dictators and strongmen believe they can get away with such heinous actions as the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Congress will need to act where President Trump is refusing. We will send the right signal to the world that despite our current president, America will continue to be a beacon of justice and defender of human rights.”

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