Senate Pushes to Block Trump’s Saudi Nuclear Deal

On October 15, 2026, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) introduced a joint resolution of disapproval (JRD) that would block President Donald Trump’s agreement allowing Saudi Arabia to develop a civilian nuclear program. The resolution must be voted on after November 29 and would require veto-proof majorities in both chambers to overturn the deal.

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President Trump signed the Saudi nuclear agreement in late July 2026, authorizing U.S. companies to assist Saudi Arabia in building nuclear-energy infrastructure over a 30-year period. The pact does not require congressional approval but is subject to a 90-day review under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman negotiated the deal, while Trump linked its implementation to Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords—a separate regional normalization treaty.

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Senator Merkley warned that the agreement lacks “ironclad protections” and does not include the “gold standard” of restrictions on fuel reprocessing, enrichment, and rigorous International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. Senator Markey echoed those concerns, describing the deal as focused on “megaton” potential rather than “megawatt” energy output and citing U.S. intelligence that Saudi Arabia may seek nuclear weapons.

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Republican Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the deal aligns with existing international practice, noting that many civilian nuclear programs operate under IAEA inspections without enrichment. Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) highlighted the positive aspect of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords but admitted he needed more detail on the deal’s limitations.

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Progressive senators argue that the deal could spark a regional nuclear arms race and exacerbate humanitarian crises in Yemen. They contend that Congress must exercise its statutory authority to prevent the United States from “sleepwalking” into a proliferation-risking arrangement.

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• “It is essential that nations pursuing civilian energy programs agree to the ‘gold standard’ of restrictions on fuel reprocessing and enrichment and rigorous inspections to ensure that a nuclear energy program doesn’t become a covert nuclear weapons program,” — Sens. Jeff Merkley, senator

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• “But there’s a lot of countries around the world that have civilian nuclear energy capacity who are subject to inspections by the IAEA and transparency, and they don’t necessarily enrich, which is the path to a nuclear weapon,” — Sen. John Cornyn

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• “Giving Saudi Arabia access to US civilian nuclear energy technology without ironclad protections to make sure it doesn't provide a foundation for a nuclear bomb is unacceptable,” — Sens. Jeff Merkley, senator

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• “The US-Saudi nuclear deal is about megatons, not megawatts. Trump should not be sharing nuclear bomb technology with a nation that US intelligence says may want nuclear weapons,” — Sens. Ed Markey

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• “I am deeply concerned by the kingdom's human rights abuses, the security of the region as the war in Iran rages on, and the proxy war that is escalating between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Yemen,” — Sens. Ed Markey

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