Markey Urges Congress to Block Proposed Saudi Nuclear Pact

The agreement, submitted to Congress this week, would authorize US companies to share nuclear technology with Riyadh. Unlike standard nonproliferation protocols, the current text omits requirements to ban uranium enrichment and reprocessing—measures typically viewed as the gold standard for preventing the development of atomic weapons. Lawmakers now have 90 days of continuous session to review the proposal under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, though the administration has signaled it may tie the deal's final approval to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords.

Critics argue the timing of the deal is particularly volatile given ongoing regional tensions and reports regarding Saudi leadership's stated interest in nuclear capabilities. Markey specifically characterized the arrangement as a move driven by corruption rather than national security, pointing to the financial ties between Saudi sovereign wealth funds and former administration figures like Jared Kushner. While nonproliferation experts have urged a vote of disapproval, the administration insists that nuclear cooperation and diplomatic normalization with Israel will move forward in parallel.