June 10, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 96 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S3293-S3294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 243--REQUESTING INFORMATION ON SAUDI ARABIA'S HUMAN 
 RIGHTS PRACTICES IN YEMEN PURSUANT TO SECTION 502B(C) OF THE FOREIGN 
                         ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961

  Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Mr. Young, Ms. Collins, and Mrs. Shaheen) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 243

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SAUDI ARABIA'S HUMAN 
                   RIGHTS PRACTICES IN YEMEN.

       (a) Statement Required.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the adoption of this resolution, the Secretary of 
     State shall, pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)), transmit to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
     a statement, prepared with the assistance of the Assistant 
     Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and 
     the Office of the Legal Adviser, with respect to Saudi 
     Arabia.
       (b) Elements.--The statement submitted under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following elements:
       (1) All available credible information concerning alleged 
     violations of internationally recognized human rights by the 
     Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or members of the Saudi-led coalition 
     in Yemen, including the denial of the right to life in the 
     context of the armed conflict in Yemen caused by 
     indiscriminate or disproportionate operations.
       (2) A description of the steps the United States Government 
     has taken--
       (A) to promote respect for and observance of human rights 
     as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's activities in Yemen 
     and discourage any practices that are inimical to 
     internationally recognized human rights; and
       (B) to publicly or privately call attention to, and 
     disassociate the United States and any security assistance 
     provided for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from, such 
     practices.
       (3) An assessment, notwithstanding any such practices, 
     whether extraordinary circumstances exist that necessitate a 
     continuation of security assistance for the Kingdom of Saudi 
     Arabia, and, if so, a description of the circumstances and 
     the extent to which the assistance should be continued 
     (subject to such conditions as Congress may impose under 
     section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
     2304)).
       (4) Other information, including--
       (A) an assessment from the Secretary of State of the 
     likelihood that United States security assistance, as defined 
     in section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2304(d)), will be used in Yemen;
       (B) a description of the violations of the Arms Export 
     Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) (AECA), as noted in the 
     Secretary of State's certification to Congress pursuant to 
     section 1290 of the John S. McCain National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232), 
     including--
       (i) whether the violation resulted from the re-transfer of 
     United States defense articles or services without prior 
     authorization or the use of defense articles or services 
     against

[[Page S3294]]

     anything other than legitimate military targets; and
       (ii) what services or articles were used in violation of 
     AECA, and an explanation for why the President has not 
     submitted the required certification under section 3 of AECA 
     (22 U.S.C. 2753) for continued export of defense articles and 
     services to countries that have violated AECA;
       (C) a description and assessment of the actions the United 
     States Government would take to ensure end use monitoring 
     protocols for all weapons sold or transferred to the Kingdom 
     of Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen;
       (D) an assessment of any impact or adverse effect to 
     Israel's qualitative military edge of security assistance 
     provided by the United States or other countries; and
       (E) a description of actions the United States Government 
     is taking to address allegations of detention, torture, or 
     forced disappearances of United States citizens by the 
     Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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