A vocal contingent in Congress that has long pushed for the US to cut off military aid to Saudi Arabia, to little effect, is seizing on the intense scrutiny surrounding the suspected murder of a prominent Saudi journalist to step up the pressure.

While it has been difficult to galvanize public opposition to US support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen, the world is paying attention to the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post columnist who was critical of the Saudi government.

He was last seen walking into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, where Turkish security officials claim he was killed by a special hit team of 15 Saudis flown into Turkey that same day. Saudi officials have denied the allegations, insisting that Khashoggi left the building that day and disappeared.

“The Saudis continue to claim that they aren’t targeting civilians inside Yemen, but how can we believe them when they apparently just hunted down and murdered an American resident whose only offense was writing critical articles about the Saudi royal family?” Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, said Thursday. “This is the right time to suspend our military support for the disastrous bombing campaign in Yemen.”

He called Saudi Arabia’s alleged assassination “the actions of a rogue state, not an ally,” and said the US “cannot be in a military partnership with a country that has this little concern for human life.”

The US has provided the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen with military assistance since 2015, including weapons sales, aerial refueling, intelligence, and targeting support. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, most of whom were killed in bombing raids, according to the United Nations.

Trump has strengthened ties with the Gulf nation since taking office, making it his first foreign visit as US president and signing a major arms deal. On Thursday, he said blocking arms sales to the country would hurt the US and “would not be acceptable to me,” a day after pronouncing relations with Saudi Arabia were “excellent.”