The U.S.-Saudi relationship is in desperate need of an overhaul. The prevailing logic for maintaining a strong U.S.-Saudi relationship does not hold up to scrutiny. Recent reports indicate that the Biden administration has entered discussions with the Saudis over a potential mutual security agreement that may include U.S. assistance in the development of a Saudi civil nuclear program. This would only serve to further entangle the United States in the Middle East, nearly 11 years after the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia.”

Rather than pursue a mutual security agreement with the Saudis, policymakers should chart a path that redirects critical resources to regions of greater strategic interest. This would entail winding down U.S. arms sales, military basing, and political cover currently provided to Saudi Arabia. Such moves should be the first steps in a broader reorientation of U.S.-Middle East policy toward more limited objectives in the region that advance the interests of the American people.

Please join us at noon on September 27 in the Capitol Visitor Center, Room S120. Jon Hoffman, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute and author of “Pariah or Partner? Reevaluating the U.S.-Saudi Relationship,” will present his findings on how policymakers can redefine the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Lunch will be provided