Administration Skipped Congressional Committee Review of Arms Sales, Meeks Says
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., accused the Trump administration late Jan. 30 of bypassing the congressional committee review process for $6.7 billion in possible arms sales to Israel.
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Meeks said the State Department formally notified Congress about the potential transactions without allowing the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee to conduct their typical informal reviews first.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio “has failed to provide any justification or documentation for bypassing the congressional committee review process,” Meeks said. “This is yet another repudiation by [President] Donald Trump of Congress’ Constitutional oversight role.”
State didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The four sales consist of $3.8 billion for “AH-64E Apache Helicopters and related equipment”; $1.98 billion for “Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and related equipment”; $740 million for “Namer Armored Personnel Carrier Power Packs Less Transmissions and Integrated Logistics Support and related equipment”; and $150 million for “AW119Kx Light Utility Helicopters and related equipment.”
Meeks made a similar complaint a year ago about State’s handling of more than $7.4 billion in possible arms sales to Israel (see 2502100045).