Trump Vetoes Congressional Effort to Block Saudi Arms Sales

'Shameful' decision 'perpetuates the administration's involvement in the horrific conflict in Yemen,' Pelosi says

Trump next to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a family photo session at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters




>> Read more: Why Saudi Arabia and UAE bicker as Yemen is torn to piecesIran and Saudi Arabia's proxy wars have a new battlefield: Indian-controlled Kashmir

But Trump's decision in May to sell the weapons in a way that would have bypassed congressional review infuriated lawmakers. In a partisan pushback to Trump's foreign policy, Democrats and Republicans banded together to pass resolutions to block the weapons sale.

The White House had argued that stopping the sale would send a signal that the United States doesn't stand by its partners and allies, particularly at a time when threats against them are increasing. The arms package included thousands of precision-guided munitions, other bombs and ammunition and aircraft maintenance support.


"The president's shameful veto tramples over the will of the bipartisan, bicameral Congress and perpetuates his administration's involvement in the horrific conflict in Yemen, which is a stain on the conscience of the world," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

It didn't appear that lawmakers opposed to the sale had enough votes to override Trump's veto.

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led the effort, but he had support from two of Trump's GOP allies in Congress: Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Last month, members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee grilled State Department officials about the sale. Chairman Eliot Engel said it was a "slap in the face" to Congress and accused the Trump administration of using threats from Iran as a "convenient excuse" to push through the sale.

In a statement released Wednesday night, Engel said, "The president's veto sends a grim message that America's foreign policy is no longer rooted in our core values — namely a respect for human rights — and that he views Congress not as a coequal branch of government, but an irritant to be avoided or ignored."