Senator Rand Paul is not a fan of big government or overreach – he stands up against it when it’s a good idea and bad. Today, it would seem he is standing up for a good reason – because he feels the United States should not agree to the biggest arms deal in history with an antagonist nation without the approval of the Senate.
In this end, Sen. Paul plans to demand a vote on the Senate floor today, hoping to stop the massive trade of money and arms.
According to Bloomberg reporter Kevin Cirilli, Paul will file a motion later today demanding a vote on the arms deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia made during President Trump’s visit to the nation over the weekend.
NEWS:
I’m told Sen. Rand Paul will file a motion later today to demand a vote on the $110b US-Saudi arms deal, the largest deal in history.
— Kevin Cirilli (@kevcirilli) May 23, 2017
The deal, if implemented, will trade U.S. arms for $110 billion, and up to $330 billion in the next decade. Though the U.S. has had a long history of trading arms with Saudi Arabia, this would represent the largest of such deals between any two nations in history.
This isn’t the first time that Paul has attempted to use the checks and balances of the U.S. government in order to slow or halt a major arms deal. In 2016, Paul did the same thing, leading a bipartisan effort to block a similar deal at the tune of $1.15 billion. At the time, the effort failed and the arms deal went through.
Now, with a much bigger pricetag and a much more unlikable deal-maker, the vote may have a chance.
As Cirilli noted, this opposition to the new deal is not unexpected. Paul’s office met with the White House before Trump embarked on his international visit in an attempt to dissuade the deal.
WORTH NOTING:
Paul’s office met with WH ahead of Trump int’l visit to alert them of their concerns with Saudis. https://t.co/nQONEn3eQx
— Kevin Cirilli (@kevcirilli) May 23, 2017
While many in the Republican party refuse to make such a stand against the Republican President, Paul’s more independent base means that this defiance will bolster his support, not diminish it. Still, President Trump’s newfound kinship with the royal family of Saudi Arabia may mean that the opposition by Paul will be seen as open hostility.
When it comes to such a massive arms deal and the implications of a closer, more amicable relationship between the U.S. and a regressive, human rights violating-nation, the opinions of elected officials are valuable. President Trump’s decision in Saudi Arabia deserves to be challenged, and Paul may as well be the man for the job.
