TIME TO BRING THE HAMMER DOWN — Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) wants to block all future U.S. weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and is calling for the Biden administration to "immediately freeze all aspects" of cooperation with the kingdom after it (as part of OPEC) slashed oil production, which will deepen a global energy crisis. "I will not green light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine," Menendez said in a statement first obtained by POLITICO. "Enough is enough." "There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict — either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping ... an entire country off of the map, or you support [Russian President Vladimir Putin]," Menendez added. Menendez, whose panel oversees foreign arms sales, is just the latest Democrat to reevaluate the American partnership with Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the third ranking Democrat in the Senate, tweeted that "it's time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance." He cited higher oil prices, the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and "unanswered questions about 9/11." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is also on board: "For years, we've looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political oppression, for one reason: We wanted to know that when the chips were down ... the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia," he said on ABC News. "Well, they didn't." He added, "There's gotta be consequences for that." Legislative options: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has signaled that he's considering action on a bill addressing OPEC's price fixing and antitrust violations and other lawmakers are calling for action on legislation to draw down U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. Andrew and Connor O'Brien have the latest. WHO'S YOUR BUDD? — North Carolina Republican Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis are no moderates, but with one of the most conservative members of the House running to replace retiring Burr, he's making them look practically purple. Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) is a three-term House member, just voted against funding the government through December and is a member of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus. Budd broke from Burr and Tillis on key votes in the last two years. Both senators backed the gun safety and bipartisan infrastructure bills that Tillis helped negotiate while Budd broke the opposite way. On impeachment, Burr voted to convict Trump after Jan. 6, while Tillis and Budd were aligned on acquittal. Burgess and Olivia dig into how Budd would fit into the North Carolina Senate delegation mold if he defeats Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley next month: Conservative Budd challenges N.C.'s purple tradition in Senate battle WALKER GETS A BOOST — Key Republicans on the national stage head to Georgia today to lend their support to GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in the wake of the news last week that he paid for one abortion for a former girlfirend and urged her to have a second. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (Fla.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) are in Georgia to bolster Walker and show that national Republicans are still behind him, in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. The Washington Post has more on today's trip. More from Georgia: Democrats sidestep Herschel Walker abortion firestorm, from Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Republicans split on allegations against Herschel Walker, from Riley Bunch at Georgia Public Broadcasting GATORS TAKE A BITE OUT OF SASSE — "Hey hey, ho ho, Ben Sasse has got to go" chanted hundreds of student protesters as Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) made his first official visit to The University of Florida since the school announced the senator as the lone finalist to be the university's next president. As students flooded the hall where Sasse was participating in a forum, the university moved his next event, a forum with UF employees, online. Students and faculty both pressed Sasse on his statements opposing same-sex marriage while faculty raised concerns about his role in eliminating tenure at his last university post. Students made demands for transparency about the presidential search process. More from UF's student paper The Independent Florida Alligator: UF presidential finalist Ben Sasse addresses community in campus visit, protestors storm forum and The Tampa Bay Times: UF student protesters loudly greet Sen. Ben Sasse during his campus visit ZELDIN'S CLOSE CALL — Two teens were shot outside Rep. Lee Zeldin's (R-N.Y.) home on Long Island on Sunday, while his daughters were inside and Zeldin and his wife were driving back from campaigning in the Bronx. Zeldin is running for governor against the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Kathy Hochul. The incident was a drive-by shooting according to Suffolk County Police and investigators "do not believe there is any connection" to Zeldin's work or campaign. But the shooting gave his family a scare. In July, a man was arrested for attempting to stab Zeldin during a campaign event.
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