Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) filed three joint resolutions of disapproval on Thursday targeting U.S. arms sales to Israel.
The resolutions set up another test of Democratic support for Israel, after a record 27 senators tied to the Democratic caucus voted in favor of a similar Sanders resolution last summer to halt the sale of tens of thousands of automatic assault rifles to Israel amid the Jewish state’s war against the Hamas terror organization.
The Thursday filings address the $658 million in munitions sales the Trump administration approved for Israel during the countries’ joint war against Iran.
Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.) co-sponsored the resolutions.
“Given the horrific destruction that Israel’s extremist government has wrought on Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, the last thing in the world that American taxpayers need to do right now is to provide 22,000 new bombs to the Netanyahu government,” Sanders stated. “No more weapons to support an illegal war.”
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has five calendar days to consider the resolutions. Following that period, the cosponsors can force a full floor vote to discharge the resolutions from committee and bring them to a final up-or-down vote.
Republicans are expected to oppose the resolutions, with the possibility of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) as an exception.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration notified Congress of an emergency sale of large bombs to Israel, bypassing congressional review and authorization.
