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House votes to block Trump's Saudi arms sale

18-7-2019 < Blacklisted News 20 218 words
 

Congress and President Trump are headed for a second veto showdown over Saudi Arabia after the House approved three resolutions Wednesday to block emergency arms sales to the kingdom.


Wednesday’s votes on the Senate-passed measures send them to Trump’s desk, where he is expected to use his veto pen for a third time.


The House approved two of the resolutions 238-190 and the third resolution 237-190. For all three resolutions, four Republicans voted yes: Reps. Mike Gallagher (Wis.), Trey Hollingsworth (Ind.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Alex Mooney (W.V.). Newly independent Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) also supported the resolutions.


Congress is not expected to have the votes to override Trump’s veto. But the faceoff shows how far apart Congress and the White House have drifted on Saudi Arabia, and lawmakers are vowing not to let up on holding Riyadh accountable.


“I’ve supported our partners and our partnerships in the Gulf region. I think they’re an important counterbalance to the threat Iran poses. And I recognize that our partners face real threats from Iranian-backed Houthis, who are themselves guilty of serious human rights abuses,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday.


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