Lawmakers seek to block $110B Saudi arms deal

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a joint resolution today seeking to block the proposed $110 billion sale of precision-guided munitions and other weapons to Saudi Arabia.

The joint resolution was introduced by Reps. Justin Amash (R-MI) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) and cosponsored by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Walter Jones (R-NC) and Jim McGovern (D-MA).

"Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records and has supported many of the extremists terrorizing the people of the Middle East and the world," Amash said in a statement. "These arms sales extend a reckless policy from the Obama administration and prior administrations, and they come at a time when the Saudi government is escalating a gruesome war in Yemen."

"President Trump's proposed $110-billion weapons sale sends the wrong message to Saudi Arabia," Pocan said in a statement. "In addition to regularly dropping U.S. bombs on Yemeni civilians, Saudi Arabia appears to have every intention of using the U.S. weapons from this sale to enforce a blockade on Yemen that prevents food and medicine from reaching millions of people on the brink of starvation."

Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Al Franken (D-MN) have introduced identical legislation in the Senate.

The House lawmakers note in a joint statement that "under the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, a senator can force a vote on an arms sale. Although no such procedure exists in the House, the joint resolution of disapproval would be treated as 'highly privileged' if reported from committee."