Representative Brad Sherman has pressed for strict safeguards and legislative conditions on a potential civil nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia, even as the Trump administration moves forward with plans for expanded nuclear collaboration.

Sherman, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation Subcommittee, has argued that any deal must include clear restrictions to prevent uranium enrichment or reprocessing capabilities in Saudi Arabia and ensure robust oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Congress was notified last year that the administration is advancing a nuclear deal with Riyadh following a joint declaration on civil nuclear cooperation signed in November, but key technical and regulatory details remain unresolved.

Recent analysis of congressional documents suggests the proposed cooperation could authorize Saudi Arabia to develop certain aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, which Sherman and other lawmakers say raises serious proliferation risks under current plans.

Sherman’s advocacy reflects bipartisan concerns in Congress that the Trump administration’s approach could diverge from longstanding U.S. non-proliferation practice, particularly the so-called “gold standard” that prohibits enrichment and reprocessing as conditions of civil nuclear agreements.

Alongside colleagues from both parties, Sherman has introduced legislative measures to increase congressional oversight and demand that Riyadh commit to strengthened safeguards, including ratification of the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which would expand IAEA inspection powers.

Proponents of the agreement in the administration contend that closer nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia will bolster U.S. influence in the region, deepen strategic ties, and provide American industry with long-term commercial opportunities while maintaining non-proliferation commitments.

Critics in Congress caution that allowing Saudi enrichment capabilities — even under surveillance — could set a precedent affecting regional stability, particularly amid heightened tensions with Iran and ongoing concerns about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Sherman’s efforts aim to ensure that U.S. legislative authority shapes the final terms of any civil nuclear cooperation agreement and that the Kingdom’s nuclear energy ambitions are pursued with the strongest possible non-proliferation controls.

The debate continues as the administration prepares to submit the formal agreement to Congress for review under statutory procedures, with lawmakers emphasizing the need to reconcile diplomatic, security and energy objectives in a framework that upholds international norms.