President Trump has had better weeks…
In the midst of dealing with the problems with Iran, President Trump also found out his own Republican Senate rejected a recent arms deal proposal put forth by the administration.
Overstepping
Trump had used his presidential authority to circumvent Congress for an arms sale deal with the Saudis.
This did not go over well with Senate Republicans for several reasons.
First and foremost, they believe Trump abused the powers of the office to justify the sale.
Senate Republicans pushed back on the idea his declaration of an emergency with Iran justified the sale.
Secondly, people still want accountability over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudis.
Senator Graham (R-S.C.), who has been standing tall behind Trump for the most part during this administration is not in Trump’s corner on this particular issue.
Graham stated, “You cannot have a strategic relationship with the United States and behave in a fashion that shows no respect for human dignity, no respect for international norms.”
That particular issue is something Senate committees are still investigating.
Reports have stated on numerous occasions that we should see legislation in coming months to address the issues with the Saudis and human rights.
Trump Veto
President Trump seems determined to push this sale through, even though the Senate has passed a resolution against it.
According to most reports, Trump plans to veto the resolution and move forward with the $8.1 billion deal.
For the Senate to override the veto, it would need at least 67 votes.
This could be a challenge, considering the Senate resolution only passed 53-45 on two measures and 51-45 on the remaining 20 resolutions.
If the deal does not go through, it would be a major blow to some of the largest defense contractors in the country, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Electric.
Source: Reuters
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