Even some GOP senators want to stop Trump from selling arms to Saudi Arabia

Trump’s reckless disregard for humanity and congressional authority has forced even some Republicans to act.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) will vote in support of 22 disapproval resolutions, each of which will block one of Trump’s arms sales benefiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to The Hill.

Four other Republican senators, Rand Paul (KY), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Todd Young (IN) have already signed on to the proposal to block the arms sales, which total $8.1 billion.

The resolutions are also supported by all 47 Democrats, guaranteeing that they will have the simple majority needed to pass. The measures will then be sent to the House, which is also expected to approve them.

Democrats and a handful of Republicans expressed anger when Trump used an emergency exception to bypass congressional approval for the sales with a country as inhumane as Saudi Arabia.

Last week, it was reported that the White House approved two transfers of nuclear technology and expertise even after the Saudi government assassinated Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The first approval, which authorized U.S.-based companies to share nuclear information with other countries, was issued just 16 days after the journalist’s death, and the second was issued in February 2019.

Following the news, a group of senators, including Republicans, vowed to limit Trump’s power.

“Do away with the emergency exception,” Graham said, according to the Washington Post. “I would not have agreed to that before, but after this maneuver by the administration, count me in.”

Graham’s support for this idea is especially noteworthy because he is one of Trump’s most loyal supporters, voting in line with him about 90% of the time.

The resolutions are all but guaranteed to be vetoed by Trump, and it’s unclear if there are enough supporters in the chamber to override.

Regardless, the vote will stand as a strong statement from all Democrats, and a few Republicans, that circumventing Congress to sell weapons to a murderous regime is un-American.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.