FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 20, 2019
 Contact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today, U.S. Senator and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to once again call for the Senate to take a stand against selling American weapons to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a nation known for its violations of human rights, fueling of a humanitarian crisis, and support for radicalism.
 
“These weapons are owned by the taxpayer, and we should not sell them to people who are not our friends,” Dr. Paul stated on the floor.
 
You can watch Dr. Paul’s speech HERE.
 
Shortly after his speech, the Senate voted on several joint resolutions of disapproval Dr. Paul co-introduced with a bipartisan coalition earlier this month to block over $8 billion in sales of weapons and assistance primarily to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Separate votes were held on S.J. Res. 36 and S.J. Res. 38, with a third vote on the remaining 20 resolutions.
 
The resolutions passed, with over 50 senators voting in favor on each vote, proving support for ending the arms sales to Saudi Arabia continues to grow in the U.S. Senate.
 
The Arms Export Control Act of 1976 provides the special procedures whereby a senator can force a vote on an arms sale.
  
Previously, Dr. Paul has led multiple bipartisan efforts to block direct arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
 
Just last week, he also put the Senate on record on selling U.S. weapons and associated training and support to Bahrain and Qatar through votes on two of his joint resolutions of disapproval to block the sales.

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