Congressman Brad Sherman Sounds Alarm on Potential Saudi Nuclear Deal; Moves to Require Tough Safeguards

Sherman to reintroduce the “No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act”, bipartisan legislation he first introduced with then-Senator Marco Rubio in 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, today issued a stark warning about a potential U.S.–Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement and announced he will reintroduce the * No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act*, bipartisan legislation he first introduced in 2018 with then-Senator Marco Rubio requiring affirmative congressional approval before any U.S.–Saudi nuclear agreement can take effect (see the

2018 billand

explanatory press release).

The Trump Administration has notified Congress of its intent to pursue a so-called “123 Agreement” with Saudi Arabia. Congressman Sherman warned that any deal lacking the strongest nonproliferation safeguards would threaten U.S. security and global stability and announced he will introduce a Resolution of Disapproval if the President submits an agreement that fails to include Gold Standard and Additional Protocol requirements.

“America should be leading the world in preventing nuclear proliferation — not lowering the bar,” said Congressman Sherman. “Any nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia must include ironclad nonproliferation protections. That’s why I am reintroducing the * No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act*. Without the strongest safeguards, we risk fueling nuclear proliferation in one of the world’s most volatile regions.”

The legislation would require affirmative congressional approval before any U.S.–Saudi nuclear agreement could take effect.

Sherman emphasized that any civilian nuclear cooperation must, at minimum, require Saudi Arabia to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol and permanently renounce uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing — the proven “Gold Standard” for preventing nuclear breakout. These same safeguards were included in the U.S.–United Arab Emirates nuclear agreement.

Without stronger statutory guardrails, Sherman warned, Congress would face steep procedural hurdles to block a weak agreement after the fact.