Should Congress Block the Sale of $750 Million in Bombs & Missiles to Bahrain? (S. Joint Res. 20)

What is S. Joint Res. 20?

(Updated September 2, 2019)

This resolution would prohibit the $750 million sale of certain missiles, bombs, and guidance systems to the government of Bahrain to support its F-16 aircraft fleet using powers given to Congress under the Arms Export Control Act.

As a joint resolution, this legislation would advance to the House if passed by the Senate and would have the force of law if enacted.

Argument in favor

As part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, the government of Bahrain is worsening the humanitarian crisis and inflicting civilian casualties in Yemen through its bombing campaign. The U.S. shouldn’t provide Bahrain weapons to continue the campaign.

Argument opposed

Bahrain is an ally in the effort to bring stability to the Middle East, and there’s no guarantee this equipment would be used in Yemen because another ceasefire could be reached soon. Congress should allow this sale to go through and continue to monitor the situation in Yemen.

Impact

The government of Bahrain; defense contractors; and the Trump administration.

Cost of S. Joint Res. 20

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced this resolution to block an arms sale to Bahrain over its role in the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has led to many civilian casualties and precipitated a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The administration explained the proposed sale through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency:

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally which is an important security partner in the region. Our mutual defense interests anchor our relationship and the Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF) plays a significant role in Bahrain’s defense.”

Paul’s resolution excludes a separate arms sale of the Patriot missile system to Bahrain at a cost of $2.478 billion.

During the last Congress, Paul used the Arms Export Control Act to force a vote that would’ve blocked the sale of about $350 million in missiles and launchers to Bahrain, but the Senate voted to table his motion.

Of Note: The Arms Export Control Act requires the administration to notify Congress 30 calendar days before it concludes a foreign military sale to a non-major ally and allows Congress to modify or reject the sale using expedited procedures.

After a disapproval resolution is introduced in the Senate, the Foreign Relations Committee has 10 calendar days to report it, and if no action is taken the lawmaker introducing it can force a floor vote on a motion to discharge the resolution. If it succeeds, the resolution is then considered with overall debate limited to 10 hours. The House doesn’t have a discharge procedure, although the resolution is still given expedited consideration in the chamber.

Media:

• The Hill

• Defense Security Cooperation Agency