Legislation to block a $1.15 billion deal to sell American-made tanks and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia failed in a 71- 27 procedural vote Wednesday.
Critics of the move to block the sale said such military cooperation is needed to restore the balance of power lost in the Iran deal, noting while Saudi Arabia is not a “perfect ally,” it will help balance Iranian aggressions.
“In essence, if we block a sale to a country that we’ve agreed in order to strengthen our alliance with them and to counter what Iran is doing, all we’re doing is cutting our nose off to spite our face,” Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker said on the floor ahead of the vote.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who spearheaded the legislation with the help of Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, argued the massive sale should be openly debated by Congress. Paul said he fears the weapons will end up in the hands of terrorist groups.
“Today, a growing coalition of legislators refused to sit idly by while the president inserts America into another war and an escalating arms race in an unstable region without congressional authorization or debate,” Paul said in a statement. “As violent jihadists attack the West, the Saudis continue to fund madrassas that preach hatred and violence against the West. The Founders did not entrust the power to initiate war to the legislature lightly. Today does not mark an end, but an important next step in reclaiming Congress’ rightful constitutional role in foreign policy.”
Murphy said the war in Yemen has largely been ignored by Congress and expressed his concerns about the number of civilians killed by weapons provided by the U.S. in Yemen.
“Friends have the ability to call each other out when their friend isn’t acting in their interests,” he said on the Senate Floor Wednesday. “And as we have talked about over the course of the last few hours, there is no way to read the war in Yemen as in our national security interests. There is no way to understand how the growth of al–Qaeda and ISIS inside Yemen as a result of a bombing campaign that is funded by the United States is in our national interests.”
California Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu introduced companion legislation in the House Tuesday.
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