Senate opposition to Saudi arms deal growing

Source: The Washington Post



By Karoun Demirjian and Anne Gearan June 12 at 9:28 PM

Democrats in droves are set to cast a protest vote against President Trump’s proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a move that may not prevent the deal from going through but nonetheless represents an unprecedented rebuke of Saudi Arabia’s activities in war-torn Yemen.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that he would vote against a sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, clearing the way for many other Democrats to follow suit. That means they, and resolution sponsor Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), may need only a few more Republican votes to throw an obstacle in the path of Trump’s plans to see through a contract worth more than $500 million. The measure is expected to come up as soon as Tuesday.

If critics of the sale are successful, it would mark the first time in decades that a body of Congress summarily rejected an administration’s attempt to conclude a defense deal with Riyadh. Even if opponents only come close, the repudiation by almost half the Senate of Saudi Arabia’s privileged status in such dealmaking would be a political setback with potential implications for Saudi influence in U.S. policy.

“It’s a warning shot across the bow for both the Trump administration and the Saudis,” whether the measure passes or not, said Scott Paul, humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam America, which has opposed the sale. “It says that in the future, no one should expect U.S. support to be a blank check.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-opposition-to-saudi-arms-deal-growing/2017/06/12/1f77cbee-4fd0-11e7-be25-3a519335381c_story.html