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REP LIEU AMENDMENT BLOCKING SAUDI WEAPON SALES PASSES HOUSE

June 19, 2019

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) announced the passage of an Amendment he introduced to stop the Trump Administration from selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates without Congressional approval. Yesterday, Rep. Lieu was joined by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel and Congressman Pete Visclosky (D-IN) on the House floor to speak in support of the amendment.

Upon passage, Mr. Lieu said:

"There are now too many examples of Trump's attempt to evade congressional authority to count. His efforts to sell arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among his most perplexing, especially given that the UN recently concluded that Saudi Arabia killed journalist and legal U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. Our government's arms sale process was designed to include congressional review to ensure that U.S. interests and laws are always met. These proposed weapon sales are not in response to any real emergency. The Trump Administration knows this, which is why they are attempting to go around Congress. It's a tactic they've used before. With this amendment, we're sending a strong signal that we will not tolerate the Trump Administration's blatant abuse of power. I'm grateful for the support of my colleagues, including Reps. Engel, Visclosky, Spanberger, Malinowski and Cicilline, who recognize how important it is we ensure these arms sales are in the best interest of Americans. "

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