115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. J. RES. 69 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Supporting a Diplomatic Solution in Yemen and Condemning 

the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi. 

Whereas the ongoing civil war in Yemen has exacerbated that 

country’s humanitarian crisis, in which nearly 

12,000,000 people are suffering from ‘‘severe hunger,’’ 

according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme; 

Whereas there is no military solution to the conflict; 

Whereas the United States-Saudi Arabia relationship is important to United States national security and economic 

interests; 

Whereas the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

has, in recent years, engaged in concerning behavior, including its conduct in the civil war in Yemen, apparent 

detention of the Prime Minister of Lebanon, undermining 

the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, expulsion of 

the Canadian ambassador, suppression of dissent within 

the Kingdom, and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi; 

Whereas misleading statements by the Government of the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the murder of Jamal 

Khashoggi have undermined trust and confidence in the 

longstanding friendship between the United States and 

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and 
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†SJ 69 ES 

Whereas such erratic actions place unnecessary strain on the 

United States-Saudi Arabia relationship, which is an essential element of regional stability: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 That the Senate— 

4 (1) believes Crown Prince Mohammed bin 

5 Salman is responsible for the murder of Jamal 

6 Khashoggi; 

7 (2) acknowledges the United States Govern8 ment has sanctioned 17 Saudi individuals under the 

9 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act 

10 (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 

11 U.S.C. 2656 note) for their roles in the murder; 

12 (3) calls for the Government of the Kingdom of 

13 Saudi Arabia to ensure appropriate accountability 

14 for all those responsible for Jamal Khashoggi’s mur15 der; 

16 (4) calls on the Government of Saudi Arabia to 

17 release Raif Badawi, Samar Badawi, and the Saudi 

18 women’s rights activists who were arrested as polit19 ical prisoners in 2018; 

20 (5) encourages the Government of Saudi Arabia 

21 to redouble its efforts to enact economic and social 

22 reforms; 
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†SJ 69 ES 

1 (6) calls on the Government of the Kingdom of 

2 Saudi Arabia to respect the rights of its citizens and 

3 moderate its increasingly erratic foreign policy; 

4 (7) warns that the Government of the Kingdom 

5 of Saudi Arabia’s increasing purchases of military 

6 equipment from, and cooperation with, the Russian 

7 Federation and the People’s Republic of China, chal8 lenges the strength and integrity of the long-stand9 ing military-to-military relationship between the 

10 United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 

11 may introduce significant national security and eco12 nomic risks to both parties; 

13 (8) demands that all parties seek an immediate 

14 cease-fire and negotiated political solution to the 

15 Yemen conflict and increased humanitarian assist16 ance to the victims of the conflict; 

17 (9) condemns the Government of Iran’s provi18 sion of advanced lethal weapons to Houthi rebels, 

19 which have perpetuated the conflict and have been 

20 used indiscriminately against civilian targets in 

21 Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the 

22 Bab al Mandeb waterway; 

23 (10) condemns Houthi rebels for egregious 

24 human rights abuses, including torture, use of 
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†SJ 69 ES 

1 human shields, and interference with, and diversion 

2 of, humanitarian aid shipments; 

3 (11) demands that the Saudi-led coalition and 

4 all parties to the Yemen conflict seek to minimize ci5 vilian casualties at all times; 

6 (12) supports the peace negotiations currently 

7 being managed by United Nations Special Envoy 

8 Martin Griffiths and encourages the United States 

9 Government to provide all possible support to these 

10 diplomatic efforts; 

11 (13) declares that there is no statutory author12 ization for United States involvement in hostilities in 

13 the Yemen civil war; and 

14 (14) supports the end of air-to-air refueling of 

15 Saudi-led coalition aircraft operating in Yemen. 

Passed the Senate December 13, 2018. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. J. RES. 69 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Supporting a Diplomatic Solution in Yemen and 

Condemning the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi.