Breaking: 45 may end Congressional oversight of foreign arms sales [View all]

[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)