Breaking: 45 may end Congressional oversight of foreign arms sales

[Tanuki]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/us/politics/trump-congress-arms-sales.html#click=https://t.co/wfwu4iObKw

"The Trump administration is quietly discussing whether to end a process for congressional review that has allowed lawmakers from both parties to block weapons sales to foreign governments over humanitarian concerns, according to current and former administration officials and congressional aides. The move could quickly advance sales of bombs to Saudi Arabia, among other deals.

If adopted, the change would effectively end congressional oversight over the sale of American weapons and offers of training to countries engaged in wars with high civilian casualties or human rights abuses, and would certainly widen rifts between the administration and Congress.

Senior administration officials have been especially frustrated in the past three years by bipartisan efforts in Congress to hold up arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which has used American weapons to wage a devastating air war in Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians.

In May of 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared an emergency to bypass Congress and fast-track more than $8 billion in bombs and other weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan — citing Iranian aggression in Yemen as the reason."...(more)

[intrepidity]

1. Would somebody please stop this motherfucker?!? nt

[soothsayer]

4. Think of how much damage he'll do before January

It’s sickening

[MissB]

5. Careful!

I do get the sentiment though. Just that your post could be interpreted in a way that brings further scrutiny.

Congress should stop him

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[Wounded Bear]

3. K & R...for visibility...

Last thing we need to do.

Hell, we need to STOP arms sales overseas. I'd vote for a total moratorium on overseas arms sales to anybody and a look at how much we really need to do that.

[Mike 03]

6. How is he able to remove congressional powers from congress?

This doesn't make sense.

The congress is invested with certain powers, and what would be the point if a president can arbitrarily remove them? They wouldn't really be congressional powers.

[Tanuki]

8. This is addressed in the linked article in the OP

"Under the current system, which has existed for decades, the State Department gives informal notification to relevant foreign policy committees in Congress of proposed arms sales. The lawmakers then give input to administration officials, which helps the administration in making adjustments to ensure the sales get approved by Congress as a whole.

Under this informal process, lawmakers can hold up sales, which is what both Republican and Democratic senators have done with arms sales to Gulf Arab nations.

Once any differences are resolved, the administration gives Congress formal notification of the arms sales, which then starts a 30-day period when lawmakers can object.

If the administration scraps the informal notification process, it would tell Congress of proposed arms sales only through the formal process. That framework allows members of Congress to introduce and vote on resolutions to disapprove of certain sales. But to actually block a deal, a measure would require support from two-thirds of both chambers to overcome an inevitable presidential veto."

[pandr32]

7. He is so vile.

I don't understand how he still walks and breathes free.

[Iliyah]

9. There are three branches of federal government . .

I'm pretty sure this un-patriotic greedy group of people presently in the Federal government have sold to others besides to Saudi Arabia - please GOD, none of these weapons will be used against Americans, but alas, the present jerkoffs in the government are so reckless and money hungry that I don't think they actually care.

That said, I don't they can permanently circumvent this.

[Varaddem]

10. Isn't this the guy

Who tried to get rid of the foreign bribery bill? Nothing to see here!Just another one of those crazy Republican coincidences.

[maxrandb]

11. Seems like an easy fix. Just defund the military.

Maybe they'll pay fucking attention if Congress actually uses the power an overwhelming majority of the American people gave it.

No more fucking trillion dollars contracts for Boeing and Lockheed Martin to make shit, overpriced planes and ships.

If defense contractors want funding, let them go to the Koch's.

[MiniMe]

12. My first thought it that he can't do that

He can't just decide that he has no oversight.