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Re: POTUS Speech in Saudi Arabia
House Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), and Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) have introduced a "Joint Resolution of Disapproval" (HJ Res 102) over the Saudi Arabian arms deal.
Rep Mark Pocan: "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.”
“For months, my colleagues and I have been demanding answers to the most basic questions on the U.S. role in the disastrous war in Yemen and have been met with deafening silence from the White House,” Pocan continued. “As we introduce a resolution of disapproval against this unprecedented weapons sale, we are concerned about U.S. complicity in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis now consuming Yemen. Our bipartisan group of lawmakers will be urging our colleagues to take seriously our constitutional duty to vigorously debate the merits of arming the Saudis even further.”
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.) have introduced identical legislation in the Senate. 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.
Unfortunately, I doubt the Senate will block the deal. Last year's much smaller $1.6 billion dollar deal was approved and the attempted block of the deal was defeated 71-27.
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