"The President maintains his discretion to decline to act on congressional committee requests when appropriate," a senior administration official told CNN.
The White House decision came a day after an explosive New York Times report that cited US and foreign officials with direct knowledge of intelligence reports who say that Mohammad bin Salman told a top aide in 2017 that he would use "a bullet" on Khashoggi.
The senior administration official said "the State Department updates Congress regularly on the status of actions related to the killing of Jamal Khashoggi," the former royal court insider who became one of bin Salman's most vocal critics. Saudi Arabia has admitted that the father of four's killing in Istanbul was premeditated and carried out by a group of men in the prince's inner circle.
The White House refusal to meet the legal requirement to report by Friday's deadline is likely to heighten anger on both sides of the aisle in Congress, where Khashoggi's killing has galvanized lawmakers.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers -- furious about the brazen murder and deeply concerned about the fallout from the devastating Saudi-led war in Yemen -- introduced legislation Friday that would require mandatory sanctions on those responsible for Khashoggi's death, prohibit certain weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and report on human rights within the Kingdom.
The senior administration official said that the US was "the first country to take significant measures, including visa actions and sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, against those responsible for this heinous act."
"Consistent with the previous Administration's position and the constitutional separation of powers... The US Government will continue to consult with Congress and work to hold accountable those responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's killing," the official said.
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