WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday questioned U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing. Murphy questioned the Trump administration’s ability to negotiate a peace agreement in Yemen, and pressed Pompeo on the administration’s refusal to comply with the Global Magnitsky Act following the death of Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. In October, Murphy joined his colleagues on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees in sending a letter to President Trump to trigger an investigation pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Act into the disappearance of the Saudi journalist. February marked the deadline for the Trump administration to submit a report to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees on who the U.S. government believes is responsible for the death of Khashoggi. Murphy also pushed Pompeo to get the United States to play a more active role in trying to bring the Saudis to the table to negotiate a peace agreement in Yemen, pursuant to the Stockholm Agreement.

Excerpts from Murphy’s exchange with Secretary Pompeo are below:

Murphy pressed Pompeo on the administration’s decision to violate the Global Magnitsky Act, “The Magnitsky Act, which is a piece of legislation, passed by Congress, signed by the president of the United States, doesn't give you the unlimited ability to gather evidence. In fact, it states very clearly that not later than 120 days after receiving a request from the Chairperson and Ranking Member of the appropriate Committee you need to submit a response. And so how do you square this very clear requirement that you have to respond in 120 days with your contention that you have unlimited time to collect evidence?”

Pompeo responded, “the State Department did submit a response, indeed. I know I’ve submitted two responses.”

“The response has to determine if that person is engaged in the activity. Not defer to a later point as to make that determination,” Murphy added. 

Murphy also pushed Pompeo on America’s role in bringing the Saudis to the table to negotiate a peace agreement in Yemen, “We’ve also talked about when the right moment is for the United States to play a more active regular role. I think there's a sense in the region that Secretary Mattis was engaged on a daily basis. I have great respect for the U.N. Envoy, but it seems as if we're having trouble keeping the Stockholm Agreement together, that it's time for the United States to play a leadership role in maybe a way we've thus outsourced to the U.N. 

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