Senate votes to block emergency arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but lacks veto-proof majority

The Senate today narrowly passed joint resolutions blocking the Trump administration's emergency arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but without a veto-proof majority, the legislation is likely to be blocked by the president.

The resolutions passed by a 51-45 vote. They were spearheaded by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC).

The administration argues the emergency sales, which bypass the normal congressional review process, are necessary to blunt threats posed by Iran.

"This is a power grab, pure and simple, with lasting implications for the role of Congress and the sale of arms around the world," Menendez said. "We cannot stand for it."

Advocates for blocking the arms sales highlighted the Saudi-led coalition's killing of civilians in the war in Yemen, as well as Saudi Arabia’s assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year.

"You've lost me, and that's too bad," Graham said of Saudi Arabia. "The days of treating Saudi Arabia the way I used to treat them are over."

But most Republicans sided with the administration, arguing the emergency declarations are legal and the arms sales are necessary to blunt Iran's actions in the Middle East, pointing to yesterday's shoot-down of a U.S. Navy drone over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's alleged involvement in the bombing of tanker ships last week.

"To reject these sales at this time and under these circumstances it to reward recent Iranian aggression," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) said.

In a series of statements of administration policy released today, the White House Office of Management and Budget detailed its opposition to the resolutions and warned President Trump's advisers would recommend he veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.

"Apart from negatively affecting our bilateral relationships with these countries, the joint resolutions would hamper our ability to sustain and shape critical security cooperation activities and would significantly hinder the interoperability between our nations," OMB stated. "Additionally, the joint resolutions would affect the ability of our partners to deter and defend against Iran’s hostile acts."

The administration also argued it had "taken a number of steps" to assist the Saudi military in avoiding civilian casualties, including training and advising to help it improve targeting processes.

"Combined with this assistance, the provision of precision-guided munitions would further help the Saudis mitigate the risk of civilian casualties," OMB stated.

On May 24, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced he was invoking emergency authority under the Arms Export Control Act allowing the State Department to forego the traditional congressional review process for 22 arms sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan worth approximately $8.1 billion "to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defense capacity."

The 22 emergency sales involve $3.9 billion in foreign military sales, including RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aerial vehicles, Javelin guided missiles, Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems, aircraft support and force training.

They also include approximately $2.2 billion in Direct Commercial Sales export licenses, as well as $2 billion in precision-guided munitions sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE that Menendez had put a hold over due to concerns about civilian casualties in Yemen.

Meanwhile, the Democrat-led House yesterday passed a fiscal year 2020 minibus appropriations bill that includes an amendment blocking the 22 arms sales.