Senate Blocks Effort to Stop Arms Sales to Bahrain & Qatar

The Senate on Thursday blocked bills offered by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to stop $3.75 billion in arms sales to Bahrain & Qatar over their participation in the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

In his floor remarks, Paul accused Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, repressing human rights, and providing weapons or resources to terror groups like Al Qaeda, Hamas, and ISIS. Through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Trump administration explained the sales as necessary to improving the domestic and regional security of Bahrain, a “major non-NATO ally”, and Qatar, “a friendly country” that hosts U.S. Central Command.

The $3 billion sale of AH-64 Apache helicopters, 2,500 Hellfire missiles, and related equipment to Qatar was upheld by the Senate on a 42-57 vote; while the $750 million sale of bombs, missiles, and guidance systems for Bahrain’s fleet of F-16 aircraft was sustained on a 43-56 vote.

Both votes saw senators cross the aisle. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Paul in breaking with Republicans by voting to stop both sales, while GOP Sens. Jerry Moran (KS) and Ted Cruz (TX) voted to only block the sales to Bahrain and Qatar, respectively. Democratic Sens. Doug Jones (AL), Joe Manchin (WV), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), and Angus King (I-ME) voted to uphold both sales; while Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) opposed only the Bahrain sale and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) only the Qatar sale.

Paul used procedures under the Arms Export Control Act to force votes on motions to discharge the bills from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which didn’t act on the bills within 10 calendar days of Paul introducing them. Had the motions succeeded, the bills would’ve received passage votes in the Senate next week and potentially gone on to be considered in the House under expedited procedures.

While today’s votes failed, the issue of arms sales to the Middle East will be making a return appearance on the Senate floor in the near future. During his floor remarks, Paul said he plans to bring a bill to the floor to stop an arms sale to Saudi Arabia using these procedures later this month.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force - Senior MSgt. Gary Rhin / Public Domain)