Washington, DC — Democratic members of the United States Congress are fighting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over cuts in oil production and calling on President Joe Biden to pressure the Gulf partners to reverse their decision.
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OPEC+, which brings together the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other manufacturers, namely Russia, announced this week the containment, which is likely to drive up gasoline prices for US consumers ahead of key midterm elections.
This prospect has sparked criticism of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi — the key players in OPEC+ — particularly from Democrats, who could suffer from higher political costs.
Three members of the Democratic Congress also presented a bill to remove US troops and missile defense systems from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The measure is unlikely to pass, but it highlights growing frustration in Washington.
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US representatives Tom Malinowski, Sean Casten and Susan Wild described the oil cuts as “a hostile action against the United States and a clear signal that [Saudi Arabia and the UAE] have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine.”
“Both countries have long relied on an American military presence in the Gulf to protect their security and oil fields,” they said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
“We see no reason why American troops and contractors should continue to offer this service to countries that are actively working against us. If Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates [Russian President Vladimir] Putin want to help them, they should seek to defend him.”
Congressman Matt Cartwright, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, also spoke in favour of the bill and said the oil cuts would “strengthen Putin.” “As a nation, we need to reassess our relationship with the Saudis and remind them who the superpower is,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
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OPEC+ said on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to cut oil production by two million barrels per day. UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said the decision was “technical, not political.”
The announcement led to a rise in global oil prices, which had fallen in recent months after reaching record levels following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
The oil group said the decision was made “given the uncertainty surrounding the global economic and oil market outlook and the need to improve long-term guidance for the oil market.”
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Saudi energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg on Wednesday that the cuts were a proactive measure to stabilize the market amid global economic uncertainties, including interest rate hikes and prospects of a global recession.
The Saudi minister also stressed that the goal is not to “raise” prices. “That’s not on our radar, our [goal] is to make sure we preserve the markets,” he said.
Some Saudi Arabian supporters have also argued that the security relationship between Washington and Riyadh is beneficial to both sides — not a favor from the US.
Yet many US Democrats continue to see oil production cuts against Washington as slight, particularly just a few months after Biden visited Saudi Arabia and met with its leading leaders, including the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The White House, for its part, expressed “disappointment” over the cuts, but Biden denied on Thursday that his visit to the Kingdom in July was about oil.
“The trip wasn’t primarily intended for oil. The trip was about the Middle East and Israel and streamlining positions,” he said.