Sen. Dick Durbin Discusses G20, Saudi Arabia, and Legacy of George H.W. Bush

dick durbin
Jason Marck/WBEZ
dick durbin
Jason Marck/WBEZ

Sen. Dick Durbin Discusses G20, Saudi Arabia, and Legacy of George H.W. Bush

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Last week, the White House allegedly barred CIA director Gina Haspel from testifying before a Senate hearing on the murder of Washington Post commentator Jamal Khashoggi. Senators believe that Haspel heard evidence that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman, was behind the attack. This came among mounting criticism and a key Senate vote about close U.S. ties with Saudi Arabia as it has provided support for the war in Yemen. Senator Dick Durbin was one of the loudest voices blaming the White House for blocking Senators from considering vital information. Regarding Haspel’s absence from last week’s hearings, he told The Hill: “I cannot recall a briefing on such a sensitive nature where we have been denied access to the intelligence agencies of the United States.” Worldview’s Steve Bynum sat down with Durbin to discuss Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the U.S., and remember the life and legacy of the late President George H. W. Bush, who died over the weekend. Durbin represented Illinois’s 20th district in the U.S. Congress during Bush Sr.’s tenure.